Day 4733 - Dawn's Birthday

Good grief. I forgot my appointment with the eye doctor today. It wasn't their fault. They've been sending me reminders for the past two weeks. I got distracted by a roof leak this morning and just forgot. I remember thinking yesterday that maybe I ought to leave a note out on the kitchen table to remind me while I was eating breakfast. No, I'll remember I thought. I rescheduled the appointment, but I feel kind of foolish. I can't remember anything anymore.

Today's roof leak was minor, but it was annoying. This is what happens in the Winter. It never gets hot enough for the water to evaporate, so it just sits up there. I used to get on the roof and sweep the water away after every rain, but I try to avoid that now. I'm getting clumsy and I don't want to fall off the roof.

The park was empty when we walked Dawn this morning. You don't see many bicycles or runners on days like this. People still walk their dogs though. No matter what the weather looks like, we always see several other people walking their dogs. 

I keep telling myself that I don't feel like walking in the park, but somehow I end up doing it anyway. It's just easier to go out the back door and start walking than it is to go to the gym. I completed my entire walk this morning without thinking that I should have been at the eye doctor instead. It never even occurred to me that I'd missed my appointment until later this afternoon. Next time I will make myself a note and place it on the kitchen table. 

I upgraded the star tracker this afternoon. I don't know why I bothered because it doesn't seem any different than the last version. The unit still works, but it takes me a while to get it going. There is a specific start-up sequence that needs to be followed and I never remember to do everything in the right order. I wouldn't be surprised if I wear the star tracker out testing it and never get around to doing any actual astrophotography.

Today is Dawn's birthday. She is now ten years old. Coincidentally, December 9th is also my Dad's birthday.  He would have been 102 year old if he hadn't died 19 years ago. Dawn is getting older, but she still seems very healthy. I think she enjoys her life with us and is finally starting to relax. I took a short nap on the bed earlier this evening and she didn't leave. She actually seemed fairly content. One of these days she's going to realize that I mean no harm and we'll be buddies. We'll have a little birthday party for Dawn when Janet gets home this evening. We don't make elaborate dog cakes anymore, but we do get pupcakes from Sprinkles. Janet and I will have a little champagne as well. It's just a birthday tradition.

There's more rain in the forecast for tomorrow. I wish the rain would wait until I finish my grocery shopping, but it probably won't. I'm resigned to getting wet tomorrow. Dawn might get a morning walk though. I don't think the rain is supposed to start until around 10 AM. If it keeps raining I'll go to the gym in the afternoon. It's time for me to go back to the gym anyway.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4726

I would have preferred to sleep in this morning, but Dawn and Janet were ready to walk. Did it rain last night? The ground was very wet even though I don't remember it raining. There was a light mist in the air and my coat was damp by the time we returned home. Dawn had a good walk though. We took our lights this morning because we got started early, but we didn't need heavy coats. It was surprisingly warm today.

After breakfast I installed the latest firmware on the star tracker and tested everything to make sure it still worked. This took about an hour. I must have upgraded the firmware on this tracker at least a dozen times by now. There have been quite a few changes to the software app that controls the tracker as well. After many hours of testing, I've still only used this thing out in the field once. I guess it was a good purchase though. It has kept me occupied for many hours and I suspect that I've learned a lot along the way. One thing I've learned is that I'm not quite as interested in astronomy as I thought I was. The night sky is fascinating, but I'd really rather stay inside at night.

I changed my eye doctor appointment because it turned out to be on the same day I need to take Janet to and from dental surgery. When they asked when I'd like to reschedule, I felt like saying how about several years from now. I know my eye doctor is going to want to do cataract surgery and I'm not ready yet. Somehow it really bothers me that I won't be able to quickly change focus between near and far objects anymore. The artificial lens is just a simple fixed focus lens usually optimized for distance viewing.

It was fairly warm by the time I took my long walk, but it was not a nice day. It's been grey and gloomy all day. There were lots of people with cameras and binoculars when I passed the eagle's nest. I thought it was funny that the three Muscovy ducks were wandering through all the gawkers and being totally ignored. I'm sure the ducks thought the people were there to feed them and they looked pissed. "Hey, what about us," they seemed to be saying.

Construction continues on the world's most elaborate stone gates. I would have liked to be a fly on the wall at the meeting where the city approved these five gates. I'm still not sure what their purpose is, but there had to be a less expensive way to accomplish the park department's goals.

I think I've got my equipment ready for the first Santa Paws photo shoot tomorrow morning. I always take an extra camera body and a spare strobe light and power supply in case something breaks. Likely the only thing that is going to break is me. I'm getting too old for this. Dogs are small and I'm down on my knees a lot trying to get the best angle. I'm sure I've already mentioned that my knees are terrible. Last year I brought a cane to one of the photo shoots, but it didn't help much. Oh, well. This event is a good fund raiser for the dogs. I don't really do enough to help the rescue Dalmatians.

I can postpone my weekly grocery shopping, but I'm not sure how I'm going to get my steps tomorrow. Santa Paws days are long. Did I manage to get 10,000 steps last year? I don't even remember. 

Gretta is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4680

Today was busy. We got started with a nice early morning walk. I hesitate to call these sunrise walks anymore because usually we have completed our walk and are home again well before sunrise. It was dark and a bit chilly this morning. We clipped lights to our jackets and Dawn wore her green LED collar. I wish everyone wore lights when they walked in the dark. It's still a little unsettling when a runner, or even worse a stealth bicycle, surprises you in the dark.

After my weekday breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit, I checked my messages and took my long walk in the park. This was the first time this season that I've worn a jacket on one of these walks. I still wore shorts though. It will have to get a little colder before I resort to long pants. That day is probably coming soon. The cold front that arrived with our recent rain promises even lower temperatures later in the week. 

I made good time today although I didn't set any records. My feet didn't bother me much, which always makes a difference. This weekend's rain washed away much of the sticky aphid honeydew on the roads. It was nice not to have to clean my shoes when I returned this morning. Hopefully these aphids will disappear soon, just like the ants and web worms that preceded them. We don't have a lot of Maple trees here in Dallas, but the ones I do see are showing some nice Fall color. Some of the Red Oaks actually do turn bright red in the Fall, but their leaves haven't started to turn yet. Some of the Pecan trees are turning yellow and I'm starting to see lots of Goldenrod near the shoreline at the lake. It's going to be a colorful Fall.

The park squirrels are all busy gathering nuts for the Winter. They love this season's abundant pecan crop. There seem to be more Double-Crested Cormorants every day and the female Muscovy Duck that has joined the two males is a permanent fixture now. Maybe there will be ducklings in a few months. No eagle sightings though. It will be easier to spot the eagles a few months from now when all the leaves are off the trees.

After I returned home I had a quick lunch before dealing with today's to-do list. I never used to eat lunch. Maybe that's why I've been gaining weight. You'd think I'd be losing weight with all the time I spend walking. I guess I need to walk faster.  I paid a bunch of bills this afternoon and did this month's Quickbooks accounting. This takes longer than you'd think because I am obsessively meticulous and have a Quickbooks category for just about everything. 

I finally made an appointment to see the eye doctor, even though I'm dreading the visit. I was glad that the first he could see me was sometime in December. I'm in no hurry. I actually am in a hurry to get my car serviced though, so I made an appointment to get this done as well. I'm tired of seeing that annoying "service required" light every time I start the car. Unfortunately, nobody offers loaner cars anymore. That convenience disappeared with Covid. I was able to schedule a time where I can just wait at the shop while they do the required service. I'd rather sit around at the shop for a few hours than deal with Uber again. I've never been a fan of Uber and Lyft.

Curiosity got the better of me and I upgraded the star tracker to the latest firmware this afternoon. I don't expect a lot more of these software updates. The product has finally reached production status and is available in stores now. My days as a beta tester are coming to a close. I did get a good deal on the tracker by becoming a Kickstarter backer. The retail version of the star tracker sells for a lot more than what I paid.

The last thing I did today was a load of laundry. You can't have a proper busy day without doing a little laundry. Maybe I should have saved some of this stuff for tomorrow. I have no plans for tomorrow at all.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4679

Today's all day rain didn't really amount to much. The only time we got wet was when we tried to take Dawn on her sunrise walk. The weather radar failed us this time. I thought we had enough time to take a short walk, but the rain started almost immediately. Dawn did her business in a hurry and we headed back to the house.

I didn't want to risk getting wet again, so I went mall walking after breakfast instead of walking in the park. The temperature was nice and cool, but the skies looked ominous. I was surprised at how crowded the mall was today. At first glance you would have thought the stores were open. There were a lot more families with children today. I guess when the kids can't play outside on a rainy day, you take them to the mall. I walked an extra lap around the mall this morning because we didn't get our sunrise walk. One way or another, I was going to get my steps.

I'm starting to see some of the same people every Sunday. It's the same way when I walk in the park. I guess everybody has their regular routines. Some people walk around the mall in a clockwise direction while others go counterclockwise. This direction never seems to change. I'm a clockwise person myself. I wonder when the Christmas displays will start to appear. Christmas merchandise is already out at Walmart and Sam's Club. It looks like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are all happening at the same time.

The rain was basically over by the time I returned home, so Dawn got her Sunday outing anyway. It was pleasant outside, even though the ground was a little wet. Dawn enjoyed her walk, but she still doesn't ride well in the car. I don't think we'll ever be able to take her on a car trip. She does calm down when we get to the ice cream store though. I think Dawn likes ice cream even more than we do.

I washed the car this afternoon. I thought a heavy rain might clean it off on the way to the mall, but a light rain just got it muddy. My office is always a perpetual mess, but I do like a clean car. It seems like I'm always washing the car even though I don't drive much.

There's a new update for the star tracker available, but I didn't feel like dealing with it today. I have spent far more time updating this thing and installing new firmware than actually using it. Maybe someday. I'm still fascinated by astrophotography, but I can't imagine spending much time outside at night in Dallas. The few times I've gone outside to observe something I'm usually interrupted by multiple police cars racing down our street in pursuit of bad guys. Our own neighborhood is relatively safe, but this street appears to be a superhighway to high crime areas. 

It doesn't look like we are going to make it to the fair this year. Sometimes going to the fair seems like a fun thing to do. This year we had no interest. I don't think we missed much. Neither of us like fair food and yesterday there was an active shooter scare that had everyone running for the exits. One of the reasons I like going to Kennedy Space Center is that everyone has to go through a background check to get their credentials. I feel very safe wandering around the space center. Not so much here in Dallas.

I need to make an appointment to see the eye doctor next week. It doesn't seems like a year since my last visit, but here we are again. I"m dreading this visit because I know the doctor will want to schedule cataract surgery almost immediately. I can tell my cataracts have gotten worse this year. I'm sure the doctor will know too.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4361

My eye exam was a pleasant surprise. I've been dreading this exam for weeks because last year my doctor told me that I would be needing cataract surgery soon. Well, it's not going to be this year. My eyes have actually improved. There were no signs of diabetic retinopathy. There were no signs that my cataracts had gotten worse. Actually my doctor said that there was less cloudness in my right eye this year. The left eye has never been a problem. I aced the eye chart this year. I could read everything on the bottom line and the doctor's assistant said that I still had 20/20 vision.

In fairness, I think I could read the eye chart better this year because it was closer. I mentioned this to the doctor's assistant and she said this didn't matter because the projection system ensured that the chart would appear the same size to the viewer even though the far wall in the other exam room was further away. "This may be true," I told her, "but the closer projected image is definitely brighter and brighter images are easier to see." She gave me a strange look. I know she knew I was right. I bet everyone who gets their eyes examined in the smaller exam room gets a better score.

I asked the doctor about different types of cataract lenses and he told me that the Crystalens system didn't work as advertised and that most people who opted to go this route ended up having serious problems. He didn't recommend bifocal or trifocal lenses either, saying that they felt strange to everyone not already wearing bifocal or trifocal glasses. When I asked him if drops were being developed that could just dissolve the cataracts, he just laughed. "It's not going to happen," he told me. "Cataract eyedrops would put me out of business." Hey, at least the guy was honest. I didn't want to argue, but they are already using eye drops to treat cataracts in dogs. The Lanosterol treatment has also proved to be effective with guinea pigs, horses, rabbits. I think it's only a matter of time before these eye drops, or something even better, is approved for use in humans. 

Sometimes it is better to wait. When I first discovered that I had Hepatitis C, there were several treatments available that had serious side effects and didn't even work for many people. Then Sovaldi was invented and this little pill revolutionized everything. My Hepatitis C was totally eliminated in twelve weeks with no side effects whatsoever. Cataract surgery is a safe and very common procedure. Lots of people I know have had the surgery and are very happy with it. Given a choice, I'd much rather keep my natural lens so I can continue to focus at all distances. I was happy that my doctor thought my eyes looked just fine today.

The weather continues to be wonderful. I took my long walk early this morning because I didn't want to walk in the bright sunlight after my eyes had been dilated. This was probably a good idea since it takes four or five hours for your eyes to completely return to normal after they've been dilated. I always hate driving home after an eye exam. Everything is fine now. I only have to see the dermatologist and the dentist now and then I'm done with the medical parade.

Dawn was good with me today. I took her outside after my long walk and then again after I returned from the eye doctor. Both times she came when I called and followed me to the door. I sat with her for about fifteen minutes while she sunned herself in her favorite spot and she appeared completely relaxed. She also followed me out to the kitchen when I fixed her dinner tonight. It's a slow process, but we're making progress.

Gretta is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4360

The television broke today. I hate it when stuff you take for granted breaks. Things like toilets, stoves, and televisions should never break. I started looking at new televisions and it seems they've grown quite a bit since our last one. An average sized flat screen won't fit in our bedroom. Jeez. I don't even like television, but it seems wrong not to have one nearby. I guess we could watch the little TV in the kitchen, but that won't work for falling asleep at night. Too bad this little mishap didn't happen a few days earlier so I could have snagged one of those Black Friday deals.

The weather continues to be exceptional. I continue to walk my same route but there's always something new to look at. The park department is ripping out some of the old trails and replacing them with new superhighway trails. This is not good news for me because the trails will be full of bicycles now. There was lots of activity this morning with surveyors staking out the route and bulldozers clearing a path. I saw several signs saying to expect disruptions until the Summer of 2022. We'll have to be careful where we walk with Dawn for a while. There are lots of new ways to get muddy.

I wrote a letter to my sister this afternoon and took it to the post office. I think the post office is one of the only places left in Dallas where everyone still wears a mask. My old bank closed recently, so on the way home I went to the new branch that replaced it. The old bank had three drive thru lanes for deposits and one for the ATM machine. This new branch had multiple ATM lanes and one drive thru for deposits. I guess that means more people are taking money out of the bank than putting money in these days. I used to always go inside the bank but Covid made me a believer in drive thru windows. I still go inside the post office though. I don't trust those blue postal boxes.

It looks like we added another Santa Paws location. Lord help me. These events are fun but they are hard on my knees. I think I've finally found all the equipment I took last year. I was missing spare bulbs for the strobes and a battery charger for one of the cameras, but everything has been located now. I've decided to use an old camera I know is dependable. Maybe I'll use my new camera next year.

I've got to see the eye doctor tomorrow. I know he's going to tell me that it's time for cataract surgery, but I'm going to try to wait another year. I can tell that there's something going on in my right eye now, but it doesn't seem too bad. I'm pretty sure I could still pass a driving test. Eventually I will need the cataract surgery, though. I keep wondering how it feels to not be able to focus your eyes. I've heard that new technologies like Crystalens make it possible to focus an artificial lens but it all seems a bit scary to me. You really don't know what your vision is going to be like until the procedure is over and you can open your eyes again.

Janet said Dawn did well in training class tonight. Little by little she is becoming more relaxed and increasingly confident. She may never decide to become my best friend, but she's really making progress.

Jada is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4307

It's unreal how quickly prices are going up. I essentially get the same things week after week and the price of everything I buy is higher than it was even a few weeks ago. I can understand why something like coffee might be more expensive, but why is water more expensive? I have a feeling that this will continue for quite some time. The global supply chain is broken and nobody appears to know how to fix it.

I felt like seafood today, so I picked up some fresh crab cakes and scallops for dinner. This is clearly not a great way to save money, but dinner was delicious. I wish fish were easier to cook. I could probably eat any fish I wanted without much danger of heartburn. It's almost always red meat that gives me problems.

Dawn felt adventurous again this morning, so we walked further than we usually do. I can never predict what Dawn is going to do next. She has probably just learned to live in the moment better than I do. Dawn was very confident about where she was going this morning, even though it was a completely new direction. I think she knows her way around the neighborhood now. 

There's only time to do one thing on Saturday before the weather gets too hot and the stores get too crowded. Today I chose to get my shopping done first. It's amazing how much easier grocery shopping is if you go before 10 AM. There wasn't even a line at the meat counter in Central Market this morning. Of course, early shopping meant that I missed the nice cool weather on my long walk. The temperature climbs from the mid sixties to the mid nineties very quickly. It still felt like Fall, but things were much nicer on Dawn's sunrise walk.

My task for the day was defrosting the little refrigerator. This small dorm room refrigerator was meant to be a temporary solution while we were waiting for repairs to our kitchen refrigerator, but somehow it has become permanent and essential. Both refrigerators are always full now. I had completely forgotten that refrigerators needed to be defrosted until we got this thing. Every couple of months I put all the perishables in the big refrigerator, open the door and unplug it. I stuff the inside with old bath towels and let the ice melt. Two of three hours later, we're back in business.

I didn't see any more dead ants today. Maybe they're gone. First it was the spiders and now it's the ants. I wonder what other critters are going to try to invade the house? I forget when the Crane Flies arrive, but they're a nuisance too. I still haven't made it up on the roof to check and see if there's a place where the ants are getting in. I may have missed my chance. It's still supposed to rain tomorrow. 

I need to make an appointment with my eye doctor. For the past several years he's been telling me that I have cataracts and it's only a matter of time before I'll need surgery. The time may have come. One eye is definitely fuzzier than the other now. I've made my income as a visual person for many years, so I've always dreaded having anyone messing with my eyes. I guess cataract surgery is very safe. I wonder how you focus with an artificial lens though. I don't even like the idea of wearing glasses.

These weeks go so quickly now. It's already time for Dawn's Sunday outing again. Hopefully we'll be able to take our walk and have ice cream cones before the weather turns bad.

Maverick is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3676

Another dismal day. I think it rained more today than it did yesterday. I wasn't that hungry, but I went out for breakfast anyway because I thought it would make the day go faster. Rainy days have a tendency to be long days. I wanted something cold but I didn't feel like cereal, so lox and bagels sounded good. This used to be my go to breakfast when I traveled a lot, but it's been a while. Lox and bagels turned out to be a good choice. It brought back memories and made me forget about the rain for a while.

After picking up something for dinner at the grocery store, I came back home and got the pumps working. I'm not sure the pumps on the roof even help that much, but seeing water exit through the garden hoses attached to the pumps makes me feel better. If the rain ever stops, I'll need to go up on the roof and finish the job.

A few days ago Janet got some solar powered pathway lights at the dollar store and to my surprise they actually worked. A dollar for a solar powered light is a pretty good price. Nothing lasts long at the dollar store, so I went back today and got some more of these lights. Like the rubber snakes I once found here to keep birds from pooping on my car, I knew I would never see these things again. During a break in the rain, I placed the lights along the gravel path leading to the alley. I don't expect them to last very long, but for now they are working and actually look pretty good. So much for landscaping on a rainy day.

During the next break in the rain, I decided to take my walk. This worked for a while, but it was a long walk on a rainy day. Before I returned home I was pretty wet. I was really on my own today. Even the joggers and dog walkers opted to stay dry this time. I don't know why it has become such a big deal to keep moving. Probably just because there is little else to do and it is easier than going to the gym.

When I woke up last night I noticed that I was seeing ghost images of the little LED lights on the network router through my left eye. I only saw a single point of light from each bulb with my right eye. My eye doctor warmed me this would happen when cataracts started to develop. I sometimes saw ghost images when I looked up at the moon, but this was more pronounced. When daylight returned, my vision seemed more or less normal, but double images are still not good. For several years my eye doctor has told me that I was developing cataracts. At some point I will need to deal with it. The doctor says I've got five years at best. Cataract surgery is pretty safe and is usually successful, but I'm not looking forward to the day when I need to make this decision. I depend on my eyes and hate to mess with them. I'm also seeing signs of keratosis on the skin under this eye. I guess I need to deal with this too. Jeez. I hate growing old.

I think the weather is going to clear up tomorrow. I certainly hope so. The sooner I get the water off the roof, the less I have to worry about leaks.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3623

Whenever I go to the eye doctor, I'm always tempted to get out of the chair when nobody's looking and go take a closer look at the eye chart. It would be easy to just memorize the bottom line of letters so I would have a perfect score. That bottom line of tiny letters always looks fuzzy to me, but it is the only one the doctor is interested in. I can read the larger letters just fine.

The doctor told me basically the same thing he told me last year. My distance vision is still 20/20. My close up vision is slowly deteriorating. And I am developing cataracts. Apparently cataracts are extremely common as we age. I won't need to do anything about mine for at least another five years, but according to the doctor they aren't going away. They say that researchers have discovered a compound that can safely remove cataracts without surgery. They've only tried the eye drops on mice so far, but maybe they'll be available five years from now. I'd definitely prefer eye drops to surgery.

The worst thing about these annual eye exams is driving home with your eyes dilated. I wore dark sunglasses but the road was still pretty bright. Luckily the effect wore off pretty quickly this year. Within a few hours after I returned home, I was able to take my walk in the park. I think I'm good for another year.

I went to the storage warehouse and picked up some kiddie gates, a large crate, a dog bed, and Dot's food and water bowls for our Thanksgiving guest. Janet picked up some food at the vet. We'll be keeping Ginny at our house during the Thanksgiving holiday. Treasure gets a holiday vacation with another volunteer as well. Some of the dogs will stay at the kennel, but hopefully this will help keep things from becoming too crowded. Ginny is still recovering from her heartworm treatment and needs to stay quiet. Kennels are definitely not very quiet during the holiday rush. There's a lot of barking going on. I think our house is the perfect alternative for a dog who needs her rest. Very little happens here.

I found out today that my background check has been completed and that I have been approved to stay on Mount Locke for an extended period of time. The public affairs director at the observatory said that they would be looking forward to seeing me next year. This is good news. I've got a lot of planning to do. The first obstacle to overcome is finding a place to stay. I could always rent an RV for my initial visit, but I'd rather stay at the astronomer's lodge or some type of permanent housing at the observatory. Almost 100 people live on-site. Some of them are temporary. Maybe I could make arrangements to rent somebody's place while they weren't there. This can all be worked out. I doubt that I will be returning to the Davis Mountains until next Spring anyway.

I need to write Spaceflight Magazine and see whether they'd be interested in an article about my upcoming trip to the Michoud Assembly Facility. It's not a launch, but it still could be very interesting. The first of the Space Launch System rockets that will return the United States to the moon is nearing completion at Michoud now. If I can follow this rocket on it's journey through testing and launch, it would make a good story. The launch is still over a year away though. We'll see what I discover in New Orleans. There's always a story somewhere.

I hope that Ginny enjoys her stay at our house. I'm a little nervous and a little excited. They say Ginny sometimes tears up her bed. Hey, it happens. We've got an indestructible Kuranda bed for her, so she should be fine. There's a lot on my plate for a guy who does nothing. A NASA adventure, an interesting volunteer opportunity at a distant observatory, and a dog around the house for a while. It's going to keep me busy.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3565

Our power went out again today. There was no wind and no rain, but I did hear an explosion back in the alley. A squirrel probably shorted out a transformer again. It has happened before. Since there weren't problems in other parts of the city, our power was restored in just a few hours. We went out to dinner tonight and by the time we returned home, the electricity was on again. I did use the generator to keep the refrigerator running, but all-in-all this was a pretty painless outage.

When I went to the grocery store this morning I discovered that the app I've been using to bypass the checkout line wasn't broken after all. I was just using it wrong. One of the many updates apparently changed the way the app works and I never noticed. Jeez. Why do people keep changing things on me? As soon as I get used to something it changes.

The weather is still unusually hot for September. That's not the worst of it though. I'd forgotten that in addition to Spring allergies, there are also Fall seasonal allergies. Ragweed is usually the culprit, but on a windy day like today there is a lot of other pollen in the air as well. For the past several weeks I've had to stuff my pockets full of paper towels and blow my nose every few hundred yards while I'm walking. If there was ever a reason to start walking inside at the gym, this would be it. I'm a creature of habit though. Even though seasonal allergies make me feel miserable, they've never stopped me from doing anything. I doubt that this month's unusually high pollen counts will stop me either.

I got a note saying that it's time to make an appointment with the eye doctor. Has it been a year already? If you go to any type of doctor these day, you'll have to see them again a year later. There's nothing wrong with my eyes but I guess a regular checkup makes sense. My Dad had macular degeneration as he grew older. I certainly don't want to deal with that. I have to wear readers now when I'm working at the computer, but my distance vision is still 20/20. I'm sure my close range vision would be better too if I hadn't spent so many years staring at a computer screen.

I guess I'm ready for the golf tournament. The cameras seem to be working well and all the batteries are charged. I just need to decide what shoes to wear. Just about all my shoes feel uncomfortable after a long day. I probably won't be walking all that much anyway. I mostly just drive around in a golf cart and take pictures of each team. I've never played golf myself. I'm left handed and can't even hit the ball using right handed clubs. I doubt if I'd be much better using left handed clubs. I've never tried.

I'm glad we've got electricity again. The house heats up quickly when the air conditioner isn't running. It's always a pain writing the blog without electricity too. I haven't charged the laptop battery recently, so that might have been a problem. Power outages, loss of WiFi, and computer crashes have never stopped me yet. I would have figured out something, but everything is so much easier with electricity.

I need to get some sleep tonight. It's going to be a long day tomorrow.

Spanky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3253

I got a letter saying that I needed to change my pharmacy to continue getting the "preferred rate" on prescription drugs. This has happened before. I wonder what goes on behind the scenes at insurance and pharmaceutical companies. Prices and procedures are always changing with no explanation. Are generic drugs really the same as their brand name equivalent? Why do Dash's pills cost substantially less than mine? Often he takes the same pills that humans do. All I know is that healthcare has become way too complicated and is much more expensive than it needs to be. Jeez. I don't want to change my pharmacy for some stupid bureaucratic reason. I like my pharmacy. I need to check and see what this "preferred rate" really is. It may be nothing. The government always likes to scare you into doing things their way. I'm always willing to pay a little more to do things my way.

I was surprised to see that half the junk I took out to the curb yesterday is already gone. All the metal objects are gone. People drive by and scavenge the bulky trash piles. I guess they sell the metal at recycling plants. The city seems more than happy with this practice because there is less trash for them to pick up. The whole thing seems kind of sad to me, but what do I know. You know the old saying: one man's trash is another man's treasure. I did haul some pretty heavy metal objects to the curb yesterday. There was no copper though. It was only steel. Can you make money scavenging steel from trash piles? Like the true cost of prescription drugs, this is probably something I'll never know.

I had to leave the house for a meeting at noon today. Once again, it was hard to get ready in time. By the time I clean up all the poop, make the bed, walk Dash, eat breakfast, and take a shower, it is almost always noon. It's getting harder and harder to do more than one thing a day now. Today's meeting wasn't even necessary. My business bank wants to start selling me investments now that I'm retired. I keep telling them that I already have all the investment advice I need, but they are persistent.    I wonder why they don't understand that I want from them is the kind of service they were giving me fifteen years ago. Unfortunately, nobody wants to provide the type of service they offered fifteen years ago. That ship has sailed.

How do you prescribe bed rest for a dog? I'm having a hard time getting the cut on Dash's paw to heal, because he is always scraping the scab that is trying to form. He wears socks in the house now, but they are always falling off. The boots are too heavy to wear around the house, but the boots are what keep the socks on. At least the wound is trying to heal now. Dash just isn't a very good patient.

I woke up to find poop in the bed again last night. Dash didn't even wake up. Sometimes when the poop is firm I can pick it up with a poop bag without leaving a stain. I did this last night and just went back to bed without waking anyone up. I did wash the bedspread in the morning, but it still looked pretty clean. I don't know if I'm becoming better at cleanup or just more casual about poop. When stuff like this happens every night, it's hard to get very upset about it.

I've got my eye exam tomorrow. I think my eyes are still pretty good, but I have a tendency to rationalize my body's slow deterioration. I guess it wouldn't be the end of the world if I needed to wear glasses. I just hope I never have macular degeneration like my Dad.

Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3246

We had our first freeze last night. I know this happens every year, but the sight of ice in the backyard bird bath always seems ominous to me. Has the water on the roof turned to ice as well? Will a pipe freeze? What happens when I need to clean poop off a bedspread and the backyard hose is frozen? I've always been a worrier and Winter just gives you more to worry about.

Nothing bad happened today. There was a stiff wind when we woke up and it felt like we were headed to the South Pole on our morning walk, but Dash seemed to love it. Our dogs have always appreciated Winter more than I do. I think Dash had more energy than I did this morning, but then I was the one picking up poop last night. Dash was already back to sleep before I had everything cleaned up and in the washing machine. At least Dash stayed on his protective blanket. Cleanup was relatively easy.

The furnace is working great. I hope this continues. Memories of furnace failures on very cold mornings continue to haunt me. At least there is a brand new battery in the car. I can remember a few battery failures on cold mornings as well. There's the washing machine to think about too. When you have an incontinent dog, you need a good, reliable washing machine. I think it drives Janet nuts that I am always fretting about something, but that's the way I am.

I made an appointment to see an eye doctor today. It's been decades since I've had my eyes examined, but I guess it's about time. Ostensibly, the exam is to make sure I don't have any diabetes related problems, but I'm kind of wondering if I'll pass the eye exam when I get my driver's license renewed. For most of my life I've had perfect vision, but staring at a computer screen for many years has taken its toll. My distance vision is still good, but I can't see anything up close without my readers. Hopefully, I won't need to wear glasses. I don't think I'd have the the nerve to have Lasik Surgery even if I needed it. Everything I've done professionally had required good vision. If I had to choose, I'll choose glasses. I wouldn't even wear contacts. Too many fears about eye infections.

It was so cold that I had no desire to leave the house today. I looked for something to watch on TV and found Mars. I don't know why I'd never watched this National Geographic Channel show before. It's already in Season Two and I've never seen a single episode until today. The show is actually pretty good. It seems to be half sci-fi drama and half documentary. I streamed the first episode this afternoon. There are quite a few more, so I should have something to do on cold days for the rest of the Winter.

Pooping in the bed was only the beginning for Dash. He didn't even make an effort to go outside today and pooped all over the house. Hey Buddy, I know it's cold, but you can still try to go in the yard. Jeez, at least make an effort. Cleaning the rugs and carpets is difficult.

At least the roof leak has stopped. That's something. Dash has pooped so much today that maybe he'll sleep all night. A guy can always hope.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day