Day 4232

The heat is getting serious. The temperature topped 100 degrees for the second day in a row. Everywhere I went today it felt like the air conditioners were struggling to keep up. Even our sunrise walk this morning felt considerably warmer than usual. I can't wait for Fall to arrive. The sad thing is that we aren't even getting the worst of the summer heat. Many other parts of the country have it worse than we do.

Luckily, the kennel was still keeping Charlie and Cooper nice and cool. The boys are alone again, since Daisy went to her forever home this week. Not surprisingly, the dogs didn't want to go outside today. Cooper really didn't want to go outside and decided to poop in the indoor play area instead. We left the possum toy home today because it seemed to be making Charlie sad. We brought two new toys that didn't look like animals and both dogs had fun thrashing them around and trying to get the squeakers out. Both dogs have gotten extremely good at catching toys when we throw them in the air. They know all the basic commands and enjoy showing off. The kennel staff agrees that these two boys are happy dogs. They seem to think that the kennel is their home. Maybe it is. Charlie has sure been there for a very long time. I still hope they can find a real home. For the right person, each of these dogs would make a great companion.

It was so hot when we returned from the kennel that I didn't even consider walking in the park. Even though it was late in the day, I went to the gym instead. The gym wasn't ice cold for the first time I can remember. Even their massive air conditioners were having trouble coping with the heat. Evidently they are still having problems finding a technician to repair the treadmills. Even more were broken today. In fact, one treadmill died while I was using it. I had to search all over the floor to find another that still functioned properly.

More people are wearing masks at the gym again. I have a feeling that it won't be long before there is a mask mandate again. I always keep one in my pocket just in case I'm asked to wear it. Hospitalization rates in Dallas are quite low, but media stories about the Delta variant have gotten a lot of people worried again. You can't say they aren't trying to get everyone vaccinated. I had to pick up a prescription at the pharmacy and the pharmacist asked if I'd had my Covid shots yet. There were big banners on the store advertising free Covid shots inside with no waiting or appointment needed. I don't really understand the reluctance to take this shot. I've been vaccinated against virtually everything over the years and am still doing well. Nobody questions their vet when it's time for a rabies shot. When I was a kid getting vaccinated for everything from polio to measles, there weren't any anti-vaxers. There wasn't any social media either. Social media is at the root of so many of today's problems. It is an addiction every bit as serious as alcoholism or drug abuse. If we could somehow just make Facebook, Twitter, Tik-Tok, and all the other media distractions disappear, the world would be a better place. Medical decisions should be between you and your doctor. They shouldn't be between you and a million other people on Facebook.

I'm glad I'm old. I think future historians will write about this period of time the way we write about the fall of Rome. Civil society is crumbling and we are slowly forgetting that it wasn't always this way. I grew up in a time where my family took vacations all over the United States in a car without seat belts. We played on rusty jungle gyms and swing sets, swam in creeks, and went unsupervised at night on Halloween all over town. There wasn't a single murder in our town during the entire time I was growing up. We rode our bicycles to school and our parents never worried that we'd be involved in a mass shooting. I grew up confident that the world was full of opportunities and never missed not having a phone in my pocket. I'm glad to have experienced this moment in time because it's gone now.

Smokey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4130

I took my long walk right after breakfast this morning because the forecast predicted rain in the afternoon. The forecast wasn't totally wrong, because it is raining now. The pumps on the roof aren't working well, but I'll worry about that later. For now I'm hoping that the rain will help rejuvenate all the dead plants in our backyard.

The replacement for the video component I inadvertently threw away arrived this afternoon. I have no idea whether I will actually use this since my video production days are effectively over, but I feel like I have rectified my mistake. This thing has been out off production for years and I might have found one of the last remaining examples. Janet tells me not to store it in a box on a shelf. I'll start throwing away boxes again some day and that's how the last one met its demise.

I discovered that you can now watch your UPS truck on a map as it slowly makes it's way toward your house. This is mesmerizing if you haven't got anything better to do, but it is frustrating as well. I watched the truck drive in circles around my neighborhood several times, always turning away just before it reached my house. Somehow I am always at the very end of the delivery run. I'm not sure why UPS put GPS trackers in all their trucks. Probably just because they can.

Dallas has a glut of vaccine now. There are more shots available than there are people wanting to take them. Just a few weeks ago people were clamoring for appointments and now there are big banners in grocery stores advertising "free shots, no appointments necessary." Things change quickly in the modern world. I don't think life will ever return to normal however. There will be more Zoom calls and fewer people working in offices. Curbside pickup will be permanent for some people just because it is easier. A lot of businesses will never return, including some of my favorite restaurants. I'll probably never go to the post office like I used to. Even UPS delivery has changed. I used to drive to the main distribution center to get my packages. It was easy and I got my items one day earlier. Now you don't have a choice. The truck comes to your house whether you like it or not. You can reroute your delivery to one of those little UPS stores scattered around town, but it costs extra and adds another day to your delivery time.

I got a notice that Feedburner is going to discontinue sending the blog to e-mail subscribers on July1. I'm not certain how many read the blog this way, but I'm sure there are still some. Little by little a lot of tools bloggers used to use are going away. My fear is that one day Google will decide to discontinue hosting blogs entirely and blogspot.com will just disappear. It could happen. Google pulled the plug on Google+ and it abruptly disappeared. Blogs just aren't popular now. I hope Google keeps blogspot alive. It would be just my luck that they would pull the plug on Day 4995 and I would never reach my goal.

I paid a bunch of online bills this afternoon and managed to get everything entered into Quickbooks without making a mistake. I wish I didn't feel compelled to keep track of everything. It takes a lot of time. I've been entering information into Quickbooks for fifteen to twenty years and I'm not even sure how to access the early years. Is the information even still there? There are mountains of paper records in the storage warehouse. It would take me weeks to find anything specific, if I could find it at all. This blog is a pretty detailed record of my daily life. Why do I record and document everything? I'll probably never know.

I used to envy dogs because I thought they lived in the moment. Dawn is haunted by memories though. There is no other way to explain her behavior. Maybe I record things because I don't have many memories. Sometimes the past floats by as I'm going to sleep, but it seems like a dream. Did it even really happen?

Krissy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4090

Was today some sort of a holiday? I couldn't believe all the traffic on the roads this morning. The stores were crowded. There was even a line at the gas station. I still can't figure out why today was so different. Even the park was crowded this afternoon. Crowded stores often mean empty shelves and I had to go to three different grocery stores and three different drug stores to find everything on my list. Is this what happens during Spring Break? And why is Spring Break even a thing this year? Haven't most of the schools been closed? 

I managed to get everything done despite the unusual crowds. A few delays rarely have any impact on me at all. It's not like I'm exactly busy. When I got the groceries put away, the only thing on the agenda was my daily long walk. It was a nice day for walking. I wore a light jacket that I can take off and tie around my waist when I get hot. The jacket goes on when I'm walking along the shoreline and the wind is blowing. The jacket comes off when I'm away from the water and the sun is shining. Usually the trees are starting to bud around this time of year, but our freezing weather a few weeks ago changed all that. I don't see any signs of growth yet. The Live Oak trees in the neighborhood have lost all their leaves. All the Asian Jasmine in our yard looks dead and probably needs to be cut back. I hope everything starts to grow soon. We have enough dead stuff in our yard already.

At the suggestion of a friend, I'm going to try Flonase for my allergies. This stuff seems like a high tech version of the old nasal sprays I used to use as a kid. I had to resist the urge to spray the stuff in my nose every few hours. You are only supposed to use two squirts a day. I put one measured squirt in each nostril when I got home from the drug store and we'll do this again just before bedtime. The spray seemed to have some effect, but I wonder how much of the stuff is still in my nose. I blow my nose so frequently and often violently during allergy season that I imagine that my first dose is largely gone by now. We'll see what happens after I've been taking the spray for a few days. I hope it works.

I keep reading stories about people having terrible problems getting the Covid vaccine. Even here in Texas  a lot of people seem to be having problems. This seems so weird because Janet and I had no problems at all. It was easy to get an appointment. It was easy to find a convenient location near the house. Everything worked smoothly, just like it should. Maybe rural areas are a lot different than a major city like Dallas. That's why I don't live in a rural area. It's nice and peaceful out in the country, but when you get older you need to be surrounded by good doctors.

I think I'm making progress with Dawn. When I take a nap on the bed now, she stays with me. It wasn't that long ago that she would hop off the bed and go to her dog bed in the kitchen every time I came in the bedroom. She also waits for me to make the bed in the morning now. She waits patiently at the foot of the bed while I straighten the covers and then she hop up and reclaims her place. This is an improvement. Dawn and Janet get up earlier than me and often she would already be finished with her breakfast and back in bed by the time I woke up. It's hard to make a bed with a big dog right in the middle of it.

I'm still disappointed that The Texas Star Party has been canceled for 2021. How long is this going to go on? The world seems divided into two camps. One side want to open things up right now and the other side is still terrified that they're going to catch Covid and wants even more restrictions. At some point we're going to have to realize that Covid is going to be with us forever. No society can stay locked down forever, so lets all get vaccinated and move on.

Anne is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

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 4065

Janet and I got our first Covid shots today. After waiting a year, the whole experience was kind of anticlimactic. I was in and out in less than twenty minutes and that included the fifteen minute wait after the shot in case there was an adverse reaction. If you've got a choice, get vaccinated in a hostital instead of one of those huge community mega-sites. I'd heard horror stories about people waiting in their cars for hours at some of the Dallas mega-sites. Everything was so efficient at the hospital. There were no lines. There was plenty of parking near the facility. All our information was already in the computer when we arrived. The shot itself was quick and painless. There was even a guy playing the piano in the area where we waited to see if we were going to have an adverse reastion. I'm not easily impressed, but these guys were very impressive.

In three weeks we get our second dose of the vaccine and hopefully we'll be looking at Covid in the rear view mirror. It's been a long year and I'm ready to move on. There are rocket launches to see and observatories to visit. If Dawn wasn't terrified of riding in the car, we'd even consider taking her on a long car trip. Maybe it's a little early, but I've had no reaction to the vaccine so far. My arm isn't sore at all. Knock on wood. Usually shots don't bother me and I've been vaccinated for almost everything.

It was really cold today. Dawn had to wear her coat when we walked this afternoon and I wore two coats just to make sure I wouldn't get cold. Dawn was eager to return to the house after she finished her mile, but I continued walking as usual. My foot pain wasn't as bad today. I don't know whether my foot was better or if it was just too cold to feel the pain. I'm definitely familiar with cold weather. I just don't like it. I went to high school in Alaska. I lived in Aspen for a while. And one of my first jobs was in Idaho. I don't know why it took me so long to discover Texas. Texas was where I should have been all along.

It's supposed to start raining tonight and temperatures will be near freezing in the morning. This sounds like a recipe for sleet or freezing rain. Yuk. I'm glad I got the vaccine out of the way and have nowhere to go tomorrow. Tomorrow sound like a good day to curl up with your dog, except that Dawn doesn't like to curl up with me.  If I lie down next to her on the bed, she usually gets up and goes to the kitchen. I keep telling Dawn that she's running out of time to be friends with me. Janet is eager to travel again and sooner or later Dawn and I are going to be spending some quality time together. 

I'm a little disappointed that Sky & Telescope rejected my idea for an astrophotography article. It was the only idea I had. I guess the proposal didn't really get rejected. My editor said he'd put it in his "maybe" folder for next year. This wasn't good news for a person who's always looking for instant gratification though. I guess I'm going to have to wait until I can get out to an observatory again to come up with any more astronomy articles. There's nothing to see here in Dallas. I don't even like to go out after dark in Dallas these days. The city doesn't feel safe anymore.

I've discovered that I sleep better under a heavy blanket. I wonder why? It seems counterintuitive to me, but my Fitbit always says that I sleep better on very cold nights. I ought to sleep well tonight. It's definitely starting to feel like winter. Northerners probably think we're wimps here in Texas, but this weather doesn't feel natural. At least the furnace is running normally and both our cars are in good shape. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Maybe there'll be another new episode of The Expanse to watch.

Jazz is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4061

I was busy with correspondence today. I wrote the dehumidifier company and tried to explain why the warranty replacement unit they sent was still not working properly. I wrote both of my editors about future assignments. I'm trying to get an approval from Sky & Telescope to proceed with my astrophotography article and also trying to find out what SpaceFlight Magazine wants me to focus on next. I'd like to remain optimistic and assume that once most of us have been vaccinated, I will be able to travel freely again during the second half of the year. There are several interesting launch events this Spring, but it's still probably too early to travel. When I was working, my goal was usually to complete one work related task every day. Now, if I can manage to accomplish two or three things each year, that's pretty good. One way or another I will eventually find something new to write about.

Our vet called with the results from Dawn's latest urine test. She still has high levels of protein in her urine, which can often be an early sign of kidney disease. Her test results were better than last month though, so we are going to remain hopeful that things will continue to improve. Dawn's diet is good and she's drinking enough water now. We'll do another test in a month and if things don't continue to improve it will be time for an ultrasound test to determine if she might have bladder stones.

I got a notice that I could do my registration paperwork for the vaccine online to save time. There were quite a few items to fill out, so this probably actually will save me time when I get to the vaccination site. Whenever I look at my online medical records I find something wrong. You can't really change your medical records. All you can do is notify someone that there's been a mistake. Sometimes the mistake is corrected months later and other times nothing happens at all. The records that I looked at today say I still have Hepatitis-C. Very odd. The hospital group that sent me the forms was the very same hospital that cured me of the disease. The medical profession is a confusing labyrinth of conflicting information. I'm amazed that anything works at all.

So far this year I have had an elaborate set of tests to determine why I sometimes have coughing fits at dinner. The results of these video x-rays were inconclusive and I still have no idea why I cough so often. I consulted with an orthopedic surgeon recently to determine why I have persistent foot pain. I was really encouraged by the doctor's recommendations, but now the foot pain has returned. Basically I've coughed a lot and had foot pain for the last fifteen years. I've been to doctors before and the results have always been inconclusive. Medicine is messy and there aren't always easy answers. I'll take the vaccine but I don't think it's going to be a magic bullet. Why do I think that this will end up just like the flu vaccine and we'll end up taking this shot at least once a year for the rest of our lives. The whole idea of "back to normal" is probably just an illusion. We have just taken a short cut into the future.

The trouble with this Kickstarter campaign that I supported is now I'm going to be wondering about this commitment until the Fall when the product is supposed to start full production. Is this thing even going to happen? Did I throw my money down a rabbit hole? I'm really not very comfortable with uncertainty. In another universe, I'd probably make a very good dog.

It's time to make a grocery list again. I won't have to get gas this week though. I didn't do anywhere. I got word that last October's issue of SpaceFlight Magazine is finally in the mail to me. Maybe my dehumidifier problem will eventually get resolved as well. I still have hopes of being back at Kennedy Space Center before the end of the year. Sometimes I feel like nothing is happening, but time marches on. I just need to be patient.

Zorro is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4060

I backed a Kickstarter project today. Either I'm getting very bored, or my tolerance for risk is improving. I backed another Kickstarter project a long time ago and if memory serves, the project got funded and the product was eventually produced. I hope this project gets funded too. The product is very cool and will help me with my astrophotography efforts if it ever gets produced. You have to be patient with Kickstarter. A lot of ideas die on the vine and even successful projects can take a long, long time to go into production.

I received a package from the dehumidifier company this afternoon. Inside was a small piece of styrofoam. That's all. There were no instructions or anything. This wasn't what I was expecting at all. The styrofoam piece is the wrong size to fit into the bottom of the shut off float so it will actually float. Even if the small part did fit, the float would still not be able to shut off anything. I was expecting some sort of electrical switch that would turn the unit off when the tank became full. No luck there. This is very frustrating to say the least. I think the solution is just to never buy this brand of dehumidifier again.

Janet and I finally made our appointments to get vaccinated. We'll be getting our first shot early next week.   We opted for a hospital connected with our primary care physicians instead of one of those drive-thru mega sites. I've heard that this hospital has things running very smoothly and that you are in and out in less than twenty minutes. I hope that this is the case. I wasn't really anticipating such a demand for this vaccine. We decided that it would be a good idea to make our reservations now, before they opened the floodgates and let everyone get the vaccine. Right now the vaccine is only available to first responders, health care workers, and old people. Janet and I would be in the old people category.

It remains to be seen whether I'm going to feel comfortable traveling again after I get vaccinated. I hope so, because I don't think I'm going to get published again until I have a story to tell. There are going to be a lot of interesting launches this year and hopefully some star parties as well. I need to get on the road again, because it's hard to write about doing nothing. Years ago I had a regular column in a little magazine called The Dalmatian Quarterly. I just wrote about my dogs and the stories were well received. I guess I could write stories about Dawn, but the magazine is gone. It died, along with a lot of other interesting little magazines. I'm lucky that specialty publications like SpaceFlight Magazine still exist. I'm such a Luddite. Magazines are still much more satisfying to me than social media.

Dawn is still enjoying her two short walks each day. I'm not sure I'm enjoying my own walks though. My feet are starting to hurt again. The easy solution would be to just stop walking for a while until the foot pain subsides. That's hard to do though. I think I've become addicted to these long walks. They provide a structure to my day. Walking takes up so much time that I don't fret much about being idle. It's weird how walking really does occupy the mind. I decided to support the Kickstarter campaign on my walk today. I also came up with a different slant on my new Sky & Telescope article. There was a very unusual cloud formation overhead as I walked. It felt like I was looking up at an enormous quilt with an entire sky full of puffy little rectangular squares. These weird clouds were actually a transition to clear skies. By the time I returned home, the sky was completely clear.

I guess I'll have to contact the dehumidifier people again tomorrow. It's hardly worth the effort though. I really don't think anything will be resolved. I should probably just rake leaves and work on my astrophotography article. After I get that shot next week, my arm will probably be too sore to rake leaves anyway.

Duke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4059

I went to see the foot doctor again today. The visit was largely unnecessary since the guy is a surgeon and we've already decided that I wasn't a candidate for surgery. The doctor did approve of my shoes though and said I was doing all the right things. I asked him about my shoulder and he referred me to a different orthepedic surgeon. It's weird that doctors are so specialized now. Every doctor in this practice is an orthopedic surgeon, but they all seem to specialize in a different bone.

Dawn surprised us today. On her afternoon walk, she kept on walking after she finished her perfunctory mile. She ended up walking over two miles, making it a total of three miles for the day. Janet and I weren't expecting this, but we'll take what we can get. Dawn still seems to be enjoying her walks. I guess we'll just let her choose how far to go and see what happens.

The weather continues to be exceptionally nice for the middle of Winter. When I took my own longer walk after I returned from the doctor's office, I didn't need a jacket at all. I was able to walk wearing a t-shirt again. I hope this weather continues. I'll take a seventy degree day over six inches of snow any time I can get it. 

I still haven't started raking leaves, but my doctor's appointment and various walks with and without Dawn gave me an excuse. I don't have much of an excuse tomorrow, so I'd better get to work. Hmm. Maybe I do have an excuse.  I didn't watch the new episode of The Expanse today because I was too busy with other things. I think watching The Expanse sounds a lot better than raking leaves.

People are reading my Sky & Telescope article. My editor sent me a question he'd received from a planetarium director in Australia. Of course I didn't know the answer to this question since I'm not really an astronomer, but maybe my friends at the observatory can help me out. I think the magazine wants to feature the question in a future "letters to the editor" column.  I may need help with the new article I'm writing for the magazine as well. I'm struggling with this one. It's hard to write about the night sky when you aren't actually looking at the night sky. Nothing to see here in Dallas.

I'm discovering that quite a few people I know went down to Boca Chica for yesterday's SN9 Starship launch. It makes me feel like a slacker for not going myself. I still kind of feel like I am living on borrowed time and don't feel like going anywhere until I get vaccinated. I've actually traveled quite a bit during the pandemic and I feel like my luck will run out eventually. With vaccinations right around the corner for old coots like me, it just seems prudent to wait a while. There will be plenty of rockets to see next year. Who knows. I might even feel comfortable traveling again later this year.

I got a notice from UPS that a shipment of parts for my dehumidifier will be arriving tomorrow. This will be interesting. Did I bite off more than I can chew? I was hoping that the company would just exchange my unit for a brand new dehumidifier, but I guess the company already did that last month. My noisy dehumidifier with the missing shut off float supposedly is the brand new model. Oh, well. I guess I get to play Mr. Fix-it again.

I wonder where Dawn will want to go tomorrow. This dog continues to be a mystery. Who would have thought that I would fall for a dog that didn't even like me.

Casey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4058

I went to the bank and paid some bills today, but that was the only deviation from my eat, walk, sleep schedule. If I wanted to punish myself I guess I could go stand in line at one of the drive-thru vaccine mega-sites that are popping up around town. Never mind. I think I'll wait. I had so many bad experiences with my engine overheating in heavy traffic when I owned the old Land Rover Defender that I just can't bring myself to sit in a car inching through a line with the engine idling for hours at a time. I heard that the vaccine is coming to neighborhood pharmacies soon anyway. Truthfully, I'm in no hurry. I'll wait for a while and see if all you people posting about your vaccination on Facebook develop side effects.

The big event of the day was watching another Starship explode on the Boca Chica live feed. I guess it helps to be the world's richest man if you're doing this sort of thing. These huge rockets look pretty expensive. It's easy to forget that the same thing happened with Falcon 9. A lot of those rockets exploded in the beginning as well. This time next year I imagine that things will look a lot different. Practice makes perfect, or so they say.

The lens I bought recently just went on sale. Jeez. If only I'd waited a week. Oh, well. I seldom get lucky with bargains. It's a good lens and I know that I'll use it. The amount that I would have saved would have probably gotten wasted on something else anyway. Maybe I'll use this lens to photograph a Starship in Boca Chica someday. More and more of the launch photographers I know are starting to head down there. There is a growing feeling that this is where the real future is. I'll have to admit that it is pretty exciting to see Elon Musk cranking out gigantic rockets in a bunch of tents down on the Mexican border. This is the Wild West of space travel. You keep wondering what is going to happen next.

Dawn continues to enjoy taking two short one mile walks a day. We've wondered if she might take three one mile walks a day, but we really don't have time to try this experiment. Several short walks seem to take a lot longer than a single long one. Dawn seems happy walking the same predictable path over and over again. Who am I to question this? For the most part, I walk a very predictable path over and over again as well. My path is much longer, but that's about the only difference. 

I have an appointment for a follow up visit with the foot doctor tomorrow. I was ready to tell him that he'd completely solved my problem, but this week my foot has started to hurt again. What a disappointment. I don't know whether the recurring pain is because I'm walking faster now, or because my new shoes are already starting to show some wear. I guess I should be happy that the shoes have made a difference. At my age, there are going to be aches and pains no matter what I do.

I haven't been up on the roof in a long time. I suspect that there is still standing water up there, but I don't feel like climbing up to inspect things. We have a bird bath in the back yard and when the water evaporates in the bird bath I like to imagine that it has evaporated on the roof as well. Actually birds probably splash most of the water out of the bird bath, but that destroys my theory. The roof still isn't leaking and my shoulder still hurts, so I guess we'll just leave things as they are for the moment. 

It's getting dry enough to rake leaves again. That's the last thing I want to do, but we've got to get rid of all these leaves before Spring. I'm sure that raking leaves is actually pretty good exercise, but I'd much rather just daydream while I'm walking along the shoreline counting ducks.

Jasper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4057

We brought Charlie a new octopus toy today. It took him about two seconds to abandon all his other toys and focus his attention on removing the squeaker from this one. Most dogs like to play tug with these type of toys. Charlie likes to thrash the toy around like he's killing a squirrel. It took about twenty minutes for him to wear himself out, but he saved just enough energy to catch treats in the air, which is one of his favorite things. Cooper liked the new toy too, but he played more conventionally and wanted us to play tug with him. Toys still scare Clyde, but he did take treats from us, so we're making progress.

Cooper is really making progress. He seems like a normal dog now. Charlie will never be a normal dog, but he is a lot of fun and smart as a whip. Clyde seems a lot like Dawn. He's scared of everything, but is gentle and sweet. I'd like to think that our weekly efforts to socialize these dogs is doing some good. I suspect that it is. Truthfully, these visits probably do more good for Janet and I than for the dogs. It's hard to beat playing with a bunch of Dalmatians.

Today was a pretty nice day. The weather was beautiful and a lot of little odds and ends seemed to finally come together. The dehumidifier manufacturer told me that they were sending me the missing parts on my replacement unit. I hope this will solve my problem, but there could be other missing parts inside the machine that I can't see. If they send the right parts, I'm pretty sure I can fix the auto shutoff mechanism. It seems like it might have been easier to just exchange the unit, but I'm not going to complain at this point. We'll see how this repair attempt goes.

I got my new 3M N95 masks today. These masks are supposed to be even better than the N95 masks I ordered last time. Janet and I will save them for when we have doctor's appointments. Judging from the people I see in the waiting room, I'd hazard a guess that visiting the doctor is a little more iffy than going to the grocery store. I've always been suspicious of hospitals. That's where the sick people are.

I got a notice from NASA that I could reapply to attend the Artemis-1 static fire test in February. Should I apply for press credentials again? I guess it all depends on whether I can get vaccinated before the test. This makes the static fire a real long shot at this point. Vaccine distribution isn't working very well yet. None of the neighborhood pharmacies that were originally supposed to be the primary distribution points have gotten their supplies of the vaccine. The huge mega sites are plagued with long lines and often turn people away after they have waited in line for hours. My primary care physician managed to get authorized as a distribution center, but they have only been sent 80 doses of the vaccine. That didn't go very far after all the doctors and staff vaccinated themselves. In theory, I'm in one of those high priority groups, but it certainly doesn't seem that way. Stay tuned. We'll see how long this takes.

I continue to be amazed at how quickly the temperature changes on a sunny day. It was near freezing when we woke up this morning, but by the time I took my long walk after we returned from the Dalmatian kennel, it was warm enough to go walking in a t-shirt. I didn't need a jacket at all. Dawn continues to take two short walks: one in the morning and another in the afternoon. It appears that this is what she has been wanting to do all along. All's well that ends well I guess.

Myles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4052

I used to own GameStop. I can't even remember how I acquired this stock, but I always thought it was a total dog and eventually sold it at a loss. Jeez. Who buys video games at a store anymore? Imagine my surprise when the stock went from 3 to over 300 in just a few days. Some kids on Reddit, cheered on by the likes of Elon Musk, decided to take down the short sellers and hedge funds and that's exactly what they did. Do I wish I'd held on to my shares a little longer? Maybe. It's a strange world we live in now. It's a little unsettling to see investing and sports betting converge, but I'll have to give these kids credit. I never liked the whole idea of short selling myself and always wondered why it was legal.

It was chilly today, but the skies were still blue and it was hard to complain about the weather. We walked Dawn earlier than usual because Janet had some things to do in the afternoon. I tried to give Dawn her second walk by myself later in the day, but Dawn was having no part of it. If Janet wasn't going, she wasn't either. I still follow the same trails where we used to take Dawn on a long walk. It's a nice walk and I still don't understand why Dawn doesn't like to do this anymore.

Wednesday has become the day I watch The Expanse. This won't last long because Series 5 is almost over, but for now it gives me something to do. I've watched Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica, Farscape, Lexx, Firefly, and Dr. Who in the past. All these shows are kind of mindless and predictable, but so are Hallmark Movies. For now, The Expanse will have to do. I can't watch Dr. Who anymore. The writing is terrible.

I got a notice from my pharmacy today inviting me to schedule a vaccination. I went to the website and started filling out the application. I let them know I was over 65. I found a convenient location. I did all the steps until I got to the page where I was supposed to pick a date and time for my appointment. The entire months of January and February were greyed out and a note said there was no vaccine available yet. There wasn't even a place to leave your name. The page just said to try again later. Wouldn't it have been easier to just tell us this at the beginning? Why ask people to make an appointment when there is no opportunity to actually make an appointment? I don't think this appointment system is ready for prime time.

There were a bunch of small projects I was going to start today, but I didn't begin any of them. It's so easy to convince yourself that something can wait until tomorrow when it actually can wait until tomorrow. Last year I had some goals. It took me a year to get my story published in Sky & Telescope and almost as long to get press credentials at Kennedy Space Center. I had built up some some momentum but Covid has taken the wind out of my sails. What now? I've convinced myself that it would be stupid to travel at the moment. The virus is worse now than it was last April and with all these new variants cropping up, who's to say that the vaccine will even work on them? This is a time to find something that you really enjoy doing at home. Damn. I'm out of luck there.

Maybe I"ll start some of my small projects tomorrow. Maybe not though. Most of these projects are really just chores in disguise.

Sophie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4051

I haven't taken any pictures yet, but I did get the new lens. There was actually some method to my madness. A 24-200 zoom is perfect for travel and will allow me to get the shots I need with less gear. I always like to travel light. Of course there are no trips planned. Covid is still raging and there is no place to go. Hey, you've got to start somewhere. I imagine by this summer Janet and I will both have been vaccinated and there will be plenty of safe places to go. Who knows, the observatory might even be needing volunteers again later this year.

If Facebook posts are any indication, everyone I know has already been vaccinated. How can this be? I keep reading that the vaccine is still in short supply and that it is hard to get an appointment. I know that my own pharmacy and doctors haven't gotten their supply yet. Maybe your chances of getting vaccinated depend on how badly you want the shot. Most of my friends who have gotten vaccinated are much more social than I am. They were probably willing to stand in line for hours. I imagine that many of them really, really want to return to their former lives. I'm still walking alone in the woods and happy enough to stay isolated. If I could go back to the observatory and Kennedy Space Center whenever I wanted, I could stay socially distanced forever. Masks are no problem. I'm starting to like masks.

Dawn took another afternoon walk today. Two short walks seem just fine to her. It's still a mystery why she lost interest in taking long walks in the morning, but many things are a mystery to me. If two shorter walks work for her, it's fine by me. My ongoing foot pain is equally mysterious. Yesterday, I could barely move. Today I was fine. I wore the same shoes, walked the same route, and enjoyed the same pleasant weather as I did yesterday, but what a difference. I had very little pain in my left foot today.

I finally heard from the dehumidifier folks. They said that they didn't receive my earlier messages and that the pictures I sent did indicate that there was a missing part. They suggested that I take the machine to a repair shop. I had to write them again and tell them that these pictures were of the supposedly brand new dehumidifier that they sent me just a few weeks ago. This machine should not have had missing parts in the first place. This situation is still not resolved, but I've got plenty of time. That's one good thing about being retired. I can keep writing these guys forever until I get results.

While I was at the camera store I got a new Lithium Ion battery for my audio recorder. Hopefully, this battery will hold a charge a little longer. I'm getting tired of reentering the time and date every time I turn the machine on. I've been faithfully keeping this machine ready to go for years but have only used it twice. I think the last time I used it was on a corporate video I was shooting in Las Vegas quite a few years ago. I'm always all dressed up with no place to go. Maybe I'll take this machine with me on my next rocket launch. The sound of a launch is really pretty awesome.

I need to get started on my Sky & Telescope idea again. I guess I was shocked when I started doing research and discovered that so many people were already writing about this stuff. The article I was planning has already been written dozens of times. Jeez. Amateur astrophotography is a much more popular hobby than I ever imagined. Some of these people are really excellent photographers. It's a bit intimidating. I need to remember that I have a secret weapon. My pictures of distant galaxies may not be that great, but I'm a pretty decent writer. I can describe my lousy pictures well and maybe even make you laugh.

Jazz is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4046

Another rainy day. Even Dawn got bored today. By the time the rain finally stopped around 4 PM, she was eager for a walk. Cabin fever didn't make her walk any longer, but she enjoyed all the new smells in the wet ground. When she reached her one mile limit and headed back toward the house with Janet, I continued walking. A long walk was about all I was going to accomplish today and I wanted to accomplish something. I was able to walk four miles before I noticed that it was getting dark. Even though the days are slowly getting longer, the sun still sets pretty early. By the time I returned home it was completely dark.

There wasn't much to do today. I decided to inventory a bunch of old camera gear and discovered a lot of things I'd completely forgotten about. Why did I buy this stuff? Did I ever use it? The answers to these questions are lost in the mists of time. On thing is certain. I've spent as long, long time photographing things.

I'm getting tired of watching static fire tests on the Boca Chica live feed. The SN9 Starship has had multiple static fires this week. The rocket sits there for hours doing nothing and then the actual test lasts about one second. Space X must be learning something because they keep doing these tests over and over again. Next week SN9 will do another high altitude hop. That will be worth watching.

I'm seeing more and more people posting pictures on Facebook when they get vaccinated. Is this the thing to do now? They even have stickers that say they got vaccinated, just like those stickers you get when you vote. Most of these people I see are younger than me and have nothing to do with the health care industry. I wonder how they got the vaccine? I thought this first round of shots was only for first responders and old people. I'm still in no hurry. I'm happy to let these eager beavers be the guinea pigs.

We had a short power outage today, but the new detector I installed that is supposed to monitor our household wiring and power lines didn't detect anything. Hmm. This gadget probably doesn't work any better than the noisy dehumidifier that keeps rattling in the bathroom. One of my watch winders quit working today as well. I guess that's not a big deal, since I don't wear mechanical watches anymore anyway. A lot of new stuff just isn't made very well. When I was cataloging camera gear this afternoon, I kept noticing that the older something was, the better it appeared to be made.

I decided to go paperless with a few more bills today. I'm getting tired of wondering whether something got lost in the mail. Pretty soon everything will be paperless. I never thought I'd get to this point, but our mail service isn't what it used to be. Most of the mail we get these days is junk anyway. Maybe my goal is to just be able to throw all the mail away without even looking at it.

The trash has been taken out to the curb and Dawn is waiting for her late night snack. This day is done. I don't expect anything exciting to happen tomorrow, but you never know.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4044

Dawn has clean, white teeth again. She had quite a bit of tartar build-up and really needed a cleaning. Dawn of course had other ideas. She always goes into panic mode when we take her to the vet. She was so upset this morning that she had an irregular heart beat when they tried to sedate her. The vet took things slowly and gave her a mild sedative and waited for her to calm down before giving her anesthesia for the cleaning procedure. 

We were afraid that she might need some teeth extracted because she'd spent so many years biting at the bars of her crate when she was used as a breeding dog. Her front teeth have been worn down, but luckily what remains is still strong and she has no cavities. No teeth needed to be removed today and her gums are in good condition too. Dawn didn't enjoy her day at the vet, but we feel better knowing that her teeth are healthy and in good condition.

The forecast called for rain today, but predictably it was wrong again. I was able to take my long walk after all. I haven't gone anywhere new for a while and continue to follow the same well-worn paths. I feel like I should name the ducks I see along the way because most of them have become quite familiar by now. Apparently ducks are no more adventurous than I am. My walks may be boring, but I still occasionally see something new and I'm definitely getting more exercise than I'd get staring at this computer for an additional two hours every day.

The replacement dehumidifier has started rattling again and it's driving me nuts. I know the manufacturer sent me a refurbished model even though I can't get them to admit it. The customer support folks won't even answer my questions now. This is a bit baffling to me, since they were so responsive when I was initially trying to get a warranty replacement. It kind of feels like they have a policy that if the manufacturer sends you a replacement, they can never talk to you again.

As I continue to learn more about astrophotography, I'm becoming increasingly tempted to buy a tracking mount. This is the only way I'll be able to take longer exposures of the stars. There is no need to rush things though. A tracker would be a total waste of money until I can start visiting dark sky sites again. Even the best tracking mount wouldn't help me much out in my back yard. I keep hoping that eventually Covid will be over and I can pick up where I left off at the astrophotography workshop last October. It would be nice to start visiting Kennedy Space Center again too. When is this all going to happen? I have no earthly idea.

I keep getting messages from my doctor encouraging me to get vaccinated at one of those mega-sites where you have to stand in line all day. Don't think I'm going to do that. I'd rather just stay away from other people for a while longer. Apparently my doctor's office gets a small supply of the vaccine every month, but so far it's being used on patients who are in a lot worse shape than I am. I'm in the 1B priority group, but so are millions of other people. I'm sure I'll get a call one of these days telling me that it's my turn. Take your time guys. I still have lingering fears that this vaccine will turn out to be a horrible mistake like Thalidomide and other drugs where the side effects weren't discovered until years later.

Dawn is unusually quiet tonight. I don't think the drugs have worn off yet. When she came home, she immediately drank a ton of water and then threw up on the bed. We're still washing all the bedding. Hopefully, life will be back to normal in the morning. 

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4042

I signed up for the vaccine on a few websites today. I thought this whole vaccination effort would be more organized, but this is apparently how you do it. All the pharmacies, hospitals, and other locations that have been designated as distribution centers have websites saying that they'll have the vaccine soon. None of them appear to have it now. You just leave your e-mail address on the websites and I guess they'll get back to you. I was just going to wait until I could get the shot at my doctor's office, but if Janet and I can get vaccinated earlier, we'll feel a lot better about traveling.

I'm sure there are side effects to the vaccine but I'm not going to worry about them. I've already been vaccinated for almost everything and there were side effects to all those other vaccines too. Most vaccines leave me with a sore arm for a few days and that's it. I'm old enough to remember kids who had polio. You really want to eliminate these kind of problems if you've got a chance. If we all end up growing a third ear a few years from now, well it won't be the first time that humanity screwed up.

Dawn seems to be walking fine now. She's not very adventurous and only wants to walk for one mile on very familiar routes, but she does seem to be enjoying herself. What was going through her head when she used to take much longer walks with us? We thought she was enjoying herself then too. This is a fairly dramatic change and there doesn't appear to be any physical reason for it. We've had Dalmatians for many, many years and they've all loved to walk. Maybe something happened when Dawn had her seizure several months ago. Maybe she's finally become confident enough to let us know how she really feels. I have a feeling that we may never know what has caused this strange change in behavior.

After we took Dawn back to the house, Janet and I continued walking along the old route where we used to take Dawn. It was a beautiful day, but it didn't seem the same without a dog. We both kept thinking that Dawn was missing out on an enjoyable afternoon. Dawn probably thought we were missing out on an enjoyable nap.

I feel like I've lost my momentum. I'd made some good contacts at Kennedy Space Center and had made three trips out to McDonald Observatory. Stories were getting published and I felt like I was on my way. Then Covid ruined everything. NASA became much more restrictive with press credentials. My main contact at the Air Force retired and I'm going to have to start all over again getting credentialed through them. West Texas became a virus hot spot and the observatory shut down. There's absolutely nothing I'm interested in writing about in Dallas. I get up in the morning and I walk. That's about it.

We'll go visit the Dalmatians at the kennel tomorrow. On Tuesday Dawn has an appointment to have her teeth cleaned and then on Wednesday I have my own dental appointment. I think that the SN9 Starship prototype is supposed to fly next week as well. It should be a fairly busy week. I don't think there will be time to get the leaves raked before the next big trash day. We'll save that for next month.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4041

Today seemed busier than usual, even though very little actually happened. I got my grocery shopping done right after breakfast. I found everything on my list and was in and out of the store fairly quickly. This week there was plenty of fresh fruit.

Our shortened walks with Dawn continue to be a success. As long as she can choose a familiar path and doesn't have to walk over a mile, she's a happy camper. It doesn't seem to matter whether I walk her or Janet does, but she definitely listens to Janet better.

When Dawn returns to the house, I just continue walking. I guess this is my new schedule for a while. I ended up walking six miles today. The weather was great. The sky was clear and yesterday's wind was completely gone. My new shoes have really helped eliminate my foot pain. Most of the aches and pains now can just be attributed to old age. I wish the new shoes were a little more durable. They are already showing some wear. I have hiking boots that I've worn my entire adult life. Running shoes seldom last more than a year. I guess that's fair. A durable shoe that is painful isn't of much use at all.

Today was the big day for the Artemis-1 static fire at Stennis Space Center. Maybe it was just as well that I didn't attend this test. The planned eight minute hot fire was aborted after just one minute due to a still undisclosed problem with one of the engines. I watched the news conference later in the day where everyone was trying to put a positive spin on things, but you could hardly call this test a success. The rocket has been sitting on the test stand for over a year now. You'd think that would have been plenty of time to work out all the bugs in this rocket. During this amount of time, Space X has already flown three Starship prototypes and is getting ready to launch a fourth next week. I have a feeling that by the time Artemis finally makes it to the moon, Space X will already be there waiting for them.

I got gas for the first time in a month today. I started driving less when Covid restrictions started last Spring. Now that I've fully adapted to this new normal, there just isn't anyplace to go. I don't go to the bank or post office anymore. All these transactions are handled online now. I don't go to the pharmacy as often because I've switched all my prescriptions to 90 day renewals. Almost all my shopping is done online as well. About the only people I need to see physically anymore are my doctors and appointments aren't that frequent. No wonder I'm eager for another launch opportunity or a trip back to the observatory.

Janet has already signed up for the vaccine at two different locations. I guess I'm going to have to do the same. I was just planning to wait until I could take the shot in my doctor's office, but that might be a while. It's not going to be good if Janet is vaccinated and I'm not. My doctor sent out a letter telling patients to get vaccinated at their first opportunity as well. Oh, well. One more unpleasant thing to add to my to-do list.

I picked up some ribs for dinner at my favorite barbecue place. The ribs and brisket are great. The location of this place, not so much. Got harassed by a homeless person while taking my order out to the car again. City life just isn't what It used to be. 

Shelby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4036

We went and photographed Cooper, the newest Dalmatian in the rescue program, this afternoon. Cooper is a handsome dog, but was a little nervous around us, so the kennel attendants kept him on a leash. Maybe a good picture will help him find a home. Clyde seems to be adjusting well to kennel life, and Charlie was just Charlie. We spend most of our time at the kennel with Charlie because he really seems to enjoy the time we spend with him. Hopefully, all three of these boys will find their forever homes soon.

The weather was much better today but that didn't seem to impress Dawn much. She wasn't in the mood for walking at all. She likes to smell things in the meadow behind our house, but after five or ten minutes she's ready to go home again. Her world seems to be getting smaller. She just wants to spend her time inside these days. It wasn't always this way and we can't figure out what caused the change.

I picked up some prescriptions at the pharmacy after we returned from the kennel and looked for one of those frames that holds a leaf bag open at Home Depot. I couldn't find anything, but remember having something like this in the past. It's much easier raking leaves when you aren't always struggling with the bag. I guess this means that we are going to try raking the leaves ourselves again this year. We have a ton of leaves, but we also have a lot of time. There was no need to start today. The leaves were still wet from yesterdays rain and snow.

I didn't get started on my long walk until later this afternoon. It was just as well that I waited because it was much warmer than it was this morning. It's kind of amazing to see the wild temperature swings you can get on a sunny day. It was below freezing when I woke up and almost sixty when I took my walk. My new shoes really help on these walks, but they aren't so new anymore. They are already starting to show some wear.

I guess I need to tell my editor at SpaceFlight Magazine that I won't be going to either the Artemis-1 static fire or the Perseverance rover landing at JPL. You can blame Covid for that. It's kind of discouraging that I was just getting established covering these events when Covid restrictions changed everything. It is much harder to get press accreditation these days. I didn't even bother to apply for accreditation out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. California doesn't want visitors these days and even if your visit is considered essential, you have to quarantine on arrival. I think I'll wait.

The vaccine is slowly making its way to Texas, but I think I'll wait until my own doctor gets a supply before I get the shot. I think you can already make an appointment at one of the mass distribution centers, but the last thing I want to do is sit in a car for six hours waiting to arrive at the tents where they vaccinate people. I hate being in a long line off cars. I'm always afraid that my car will stall out or overheat idling for so long. It still seems like the best solution is to just stay away from other people. That's pretty easy for me to do.

We made an appointment to get Dawn's teeth cleaned. She doesn't like going to the vet, but she's got some significant plaque build up on her teeth. It's time. Maybe the vet will have some suggestions about her recent behavior. The refusal to walk really seems to be more of a mental issue than a physical one. Dawn has a few minor medical issues but basically appears to be very healthy.

I have no idea what I'll be doing tomorrow. I wish I hadn't already watched all the new episodes of The Expanse. A little science fiction seems a lot more appealing than going up on the roof or raking leaves.

Pepper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day