Day 4086

I'm done. Janet and I got our second Covid vaccinations today. We got the Pfizer vaccine, which is the one I wanted anyway. In fourteen days we should have immunity to the disease and can resume normal life if such a thing still exists. I continue to be amazed at how organized and efficient the hospital was. Getting the injection couldn't have been easier. Why would you want to go wait in line for hours at a mass vaccination center run by the government when you could go to a well run hospital and be in and out in a matter of minutes?

Getting vaccinated seems to be more popular than I anticipated. I haven't run into anybody who doesn't want to take the vaccine because they're afraid of growing a tail or third eye. Most of the people I know here in Texas have already received at least one shot. This doesn't really say much though, since I only know other old people. I'd like to think that getting vaccinated signals the beginning of the end to this mess, but it probably doesn't. I have a feeling that people will be arguing about masks for years to come.

I got my media access application from the Air Force today. You have to fill this out once a year to keep your press credentials. I'll fill out the forms tomorrow and send them in. I was pleased that I didn't have to ask for the forms this year. They already know me and I'm on the list. The Air Force people are super nice and they have made it possible for me to see some important launches when I couldn't get clearance from NASA. I'm looking forward to returning to Kennedy Space Center again. There aren't a whole lot of things I look forward to, but this is one of them.

The weather has been so warm this week that I'm beginning to think that last month's big freeze was just a bad dream. When we took our walks today, I didn't need a jacket at all. A t-shirt and shorts were fine. Dawn enjoyed the nice weather, but only wanted to walk a mile today. She's full of surprises and we are always wondering what she'll do next. 

My feet held up pretty well today. I still have no idea why some days are worse than others. While I was taking my long walk, I noticed that our three resident Muscovy Ducks were sitting under a picnic table. When I returned, a family was having a picnic at this table, but the ducks hadn't moved. They were still sitting directly under the same table. Were the ducks waiting to be fed or were they just being stubborn? I've seen these ducks be very aggressive, but the family seemed to be treating them like a pet dog. There must be a story here. 

The sky was very clear today. I should go out and look at the stars this evening, but I probably won't. Usually when I finish writing the blog, all I want to do is go straight to bed. I'm spoiled by West Texas dark skies too. When I look up in the back yard at night all I see is a light grey sky dotted with a few of the brightest stars. There's really nothing to see unless you like looking at the moon. Getting back to the dark skies of West Texas is almost as high on my wish list as returning to Kennedy Space Center. Hey, it's only March. There's a lot of 2021 left. Getting vaccinated does make you a bit more optimistic. Maybe normal life is just around the corner.

I doubt that much is going to change tomorrow. I just hope I don't wake up with some of the severe reactions that others have reported after getting their second shot. So far, so good. I don't feel a thing yet. 

Tucker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3682

I saw a little blue sky today. Things are looking up. I guess the big news is that I got my press pass. NASA sent me a notice today that my application has been approved. I'm a space journalist now. I'll be covering the Solar Orbiter launch for a little British magazine few people have even heard of, but it's still a big deal to me.

The good news about getting real press credentials inspired me to get my butt in gear and make my reservations for the trip. Since I've started traveling more, I've joined several airline, hotel, and rental car loyalty programs in hopes of getting a better deal. All I've gotten so far is a lot more spam e-mail. It's not so easy to get a great deal. What I've discovered is that when you tell an airline or hotel when you want to travel, there are seldom any deals. You get the bargains when you let them tell you when to travel. Discounts aren't really meant to help you. They exist to fill empty seats and rent rooms on slow days. Needless to say, I'm not getting any deals this trip, but I do have my reservations now.

I spent a lot of time up on the roof today. Truthfully, I still have no idea where the leak is coming from. After I removed all the standing water, I took a tape measure and found the spot on the roof directly above where the leak occurred. Everything looked good to me. I couldn't find any holes or tears in the silicon coating at all. The water is getting in somewhere though. I just don't know if I'll ever find the source. The problem is that once that water manages to get under the protective coating, it can travel almost anywhere. The leak might be nowhere near where it is actually entering the house. Luckily, this was a very small leak after a very heavy rain. Maybe if I'm more careful about using the pumps, it won't happen again.

Since the rain has moved on to the East, I was able to take my walk today. It was definitely easier walking on an indoor track, but time seems to pass much more quickly when you are outdoors. It's easy to let your mind wander and daydream when there are interesting things to look at. Walking the same distance on a small indoor track is mind numbing. I totally lost track of time yesterday and was just waiting for my Fitbit to tell me that I'd gone the distance. I'll admit it was warmer though. There's definitely something to be said for staying warm. It was nice to see blue sky this afternoon, but I was still cold.

This week has gone quickly. I even managed to get a few things done. Now it's time to take this week's trash out to the curb and start thinking about where I want to go for breakfast tomorrow. Shrimp grits sounds pretty good. If the weather stays nice, I might start thinking about visiting the little observatory north of town as well. I still need to do this before leaving for the Davis Mountains. Did I mention that the weird rattling noise in the washing machine has disappeared. The machine sounds normal again. All in all, it's been a pretty good day.

Chloe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2361

Everyone was glad to see Dot back on the treadmill today. We resumed her water therapy and acupuncture sessions and I was pleased at how well she did. Her vet did an evaluation and thinks it's OK to continue her therapy. The only snag in Dot's therapy plan is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to transport her in the car. Even when I drive slowly and make no sudden moves, the ride is uncomfortable and stressful for her. She almost always poops in the car now. Today she made a huge mess and even though I had planned for this eventually, it was difficult to get the car cleaned up for the return trip home. Dot's vet still thinks that water therapy is very beneficial, but says I'll have to decide whether the stress of riding in the car, erases a lot of the benefits she gets from therapy. It's a tough call. Dot hates riding in the car now. Once we arrive, she's fine. I think she really enjoys the acupuncture. It relaxes her.

Dot had a very busy day. Before our physical therapy session, we met the dog walker who will be helping us while Janet is on vacation. This encounter went better than I expected. Dot initially barked a lot and appeared nervous, but she calmed down within a matter of minutes. I think this is going to work out OK. Dash didn't have any problems at all. He just wanted the dog walker's undivided attention.

My Internet connection hasn't worked this well in months and my new router is still sitting unopened in the box. I wonder what AT&T did? They claim they just set up my account for the new equipment they sent me,  but I'm not even using the new equipment yet. Somehow they managed to clear up all my connection problems without even realizing it. I wish I knew what they did, so I can ask them to do the same thing the next time U-Verse goes down. I don't even think they know. I don't know how long this is going to last, but I don't want to mess with anything now. Almost accidently, I finally have the system I was promised several years ago.

When is this rain going to stop? I just looked at the forecast and it looks like we'll be having daily thunderstorms all the way through the weekend. The only silver lining to this nasty weather is that the temperature has cooled enough for Dot to feel comfortable on her morning walks again. It's been a little problematic to find a thirty minute dry spell to actually take a walk, but so far we've been relatively lucky. There's only been one day where the rain never stopped at all.

Hopefully, I'll get lucky when I take the trash out tomorrow evening. I'm not surprised that the city never did answer my request to come back and get the trash they failed to pick up. There's a fancy website where you can request all types of city services, but the city never responds. I'll take my two week's worth of accumulated trash out to the curb tomorrow, but I wouldn't be surprised it it gets ignored again.

Despite the lousy weather, the poop filled car, and the lack of work, I consider today a success. It is encouraging that Dot is making progress again. She did well today. Dealing with the dogs next week doesn't seem quite as daunting either, now that I have some help. Who knows what will happen tomorrow. It might be a little presumptuous, but I'm hoping for two good days in a row.

Charlie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day