Day 4993

Another busy day. It never cools down anymore. Our air conditioner runs throughout the night and our early morning walk feels more like a midday walk. At least it's still cool enough before sunrise to give Dawn a walk. It's far too hot later in the day.

We had a big weekend breakfast and then I left to do my grocery shopping and other errands. I had to get a prescription transferred to a different pharmacy this morning because my regular pharmacy couldn't obtain the pills anymore. The new pharmacy said the pills were on backorder as well, but luckily they still had some in stock. Hopefully this problem will be resolved before my 90 day supply runs out.

I filled my car with gas and noticed that gas prices are going up again. I guess the gas companies don't want to be left behind. All prices keep going up. It's a regular guessing game to see what the prices of my regular items are going to be this week. At least I could find everything today. Some common items seem to be in short supply as well.

After I put the groceries away, I let Dawn out to pee, checked my messages, and went to the gym. My gym is always pretty empty on weekends. This seems counterintuitive to me, but I'm always happy to have the place to myself. I did my three mile walk around the indoor track and was disappointed in my time again. I wasn't great on the basketball court either. I didn't even bother with lifting weights today. I was ready to come home and take a nap.

I'm still disappointed that I'm not down in Florida this weekend. Other people's photographs of the Crew 7 launch early this morning looked great and there was a Starlink launch just about an hour ago. There will be a third Space Force launch on Tuesday. It's rare to have this many launches so close together and I could have been approved for all of them. Oh, well. I need to think of the money I'm saving. At least that's a positive.

I went out and got a pizza for dinner tonight. Our favorite pizza place has raised their prices as well. You wonder where this is going to end. Everyone can't keep raising their prices indefinitely. If I was working I would probably raise my own prices as well. Retirees can't do this though. We're kind of at the mercy of everyone else.

I keep checking my weather app to see if there is a chance of rain. Nope. We're looking at clear skies for the rest of the month. They say a cold front will be arriving on Monday, but temperatures will still be in the 90's. It's going to be a while before I can resume my long walks in the park. Tomorrow I'll go back to the mall. Mall walking is pleasant and it's always nice and cool inside. I don't think Dawn is going to get a Sunday outing walk. We'll still go for ice cream though. An ice cream cone on a hot day always makes things a little better.

Cammy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4986

Another busy day. We got up a little later this morning and the park was already filled with people when we took Dawn on her early walk. I think everyone is starting to realize that just before sunrise is the only time even worth thinking about going outside. We passed a lot of people walking their dogs this morning. It's way too hot for dog walks later in the day. The park department has even started putting up signs warning people of the dangers of walking your dog on hot pavement.

After breakfast I did my grocery shopping. My list was longer today and I had to go to several stores. It didn't take long to get oppressively hot. By mid-morning the temperature was already over 100 degrees. The traffic is terrible on weekends now. Where did all these people come from? Once again I ended up very close to my gym, but came home first because I had groceries in the car. My strawberries wouldn't last very long if I left them out in the hot sun for several hours. 

I went back to the gym after I put the groceries away. Usually the gym is virtually empty on Saturday, but there were lots of people today. Some people probably come here just because it's so cold inside. I completed my usual routine and came home again. I really ought to stay a little longer and use some of the many resources this gym provides. Somehow after an hour or so I'm almost always ready to come home. I like getting my steps every day, but don't really get that much pleasure from going to the gym. 

On the way home from the gym I stopped at Sprinkles and got cupcakes for Janet's birthday. I was going to get a special cake at Central Market but the decorated cakes were horrendously expensive. I probably should have got the cake. Sprinkles raised their prices again and I could have gotten a nice cake for the price of several cupcakes.

Janet wanted Chinese food so we went to a nice Chinese restaurant for her birthday. The food was terrific, but something seemed to be wrong with their air conditioning system. The place was too hot. I think everyone is struggling with this heat. Our house feels warmer and even the gym can't keep things as cool as they used to. The electric company probably loves this. When we return from our early walks, all we hear is the hum of everyone's air conditioner compressors. 

We sent our vet some videos of Dawn coughing, but he didn't seems to think it was serious. I beg to differ. This coughing doesn't seem normal at all. It sounds like she's choking on something. The vet doesn't think Dawn has kennel cough, but thinks she's doing something he calls reverse sneezing instead. We'll watch her for a while. We still haven't rescheduled her dental cleaning though.

Dawn has the next birthday on the calendar. She's the youngster in the family. Janet and I don't feel that old, but we're both getting up there. Oh, well. At least we don't need to think about aging for another year. Tomorrow I'll go mall walking and we'll take Dawn on her Sunday outing. I can't wait for Fall to arrive. This heat wave is starting to get on my nerves.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4979

I had a long list of things to get today and most of them weren't groceries. I needed bug spray, WD-40, dishwasher detergent, Swiffer dusters, and blue shop towels. There were food items too, but it seemed like I visited way too many stores this morning. When I returned home with the groceries Dawn didn't get excited at all. She didn't even get off the bed this morning.

They are still tearing up the streets in the neighborhood to put in new water mains. Inevitably when the city paves a street, some other department tears it up again within six months. I'm not sure why we need new water mains in the neighborhood, but it seems like a major undertaking. 

The weather hasn't gotten any better. When we took our early walk this morning the temperature was almost 90 degrees. This was before sunrise too. I keep looking every day to see if there is any rain in the forecast. Nothing so far. It's kind of ironic that after we got a brand new roof, we haven't really needed it. It's been hot and dry ever since the roof was installed.

I went to the gym after I finished my errands this morning. The place is usually fairly empty on weekends, but I didn't get to shoot baskets today because there were other people using the court. I did my three miles on the indoor track, lifted a few weights, and came home again. I was slow again today. I still have no idea why some days are better than others.

I treated the western side of the house for spiders when I returned from the gym. Hopefully this will keep the webs from returning. It's so hot outside that I've given up on mowing the grass or doing other yard work. The grass isn't growing a lot anyway. It's all starting to turn yellow. Leaves are starting to drop from the trees way earlier than they should as well. This heat is bad for plants and animals alike. I keep wondering what happened to the rabbits we used to see every morning. We haven't seen any bunnies in almost a month.

Dawn's lab results came back today and she appears to be in good health. Her blood work actually looks better than mine. Although Dawn was already an older dog when we adopted her, she seems to be quite healthy. If she has any problems they all appear to be mental. To be fair, Dawn has actually adapted quite well to her new life. She was born in a puppy mill and spent her first ten years as a breeding dog. Life with us is probably still pretty new to her.

I'm still having trouble getting excited about anything. It's probably the weather. I'm not even sure I want to go to the OSIRIS-REx event at Johnson Space Center now. I'm probably getting ahead of myself though. I haven't even been approved yet. Until then I'll keep following my regular routine. I'll go mall walking tomorrow morning and then we'll take Dawn on her Sunday outing. It will probably be too hot for a walk, but at least we'll get ice cream cones.

Ellis is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4972

Just a normal Saturday, doing my Saturday things. We're taking our sunrise walks earlier now to avoid the heat but it doesn't really help. It's already uncomfortably warm even before the sun comes up. At least there was a breeze this morning. A breeze always helps.

We had our big weekend breakfast this morning and then I got started on my grocery shopping. I had to get gas today and it was even more expensive than it was last week. It seems weird that the price has shot up so suddenly. Gas prices were a lot lower earlier this summer.

I'm still trying to find a replacement for my favorite beer. I try something new every week. Maybe I'll get lucky with this week's selection. I did get lucky in the seafood department at Central Market. Maryland Crabcakes were on sale. Yum. Janet and I both love these. I discovered that the hydroponically grown strawberries I got last week were exactly twice as expensive as Sam's Club strawberries. Oh, well. It's back to the regular strawberries.

After I put the groceries away I went to the gym. I like the gym on weekends because it is virtually empty. It's easy to find a spot in the parking garage and there are no trainers on the floor. I still go through my regular routine on weekends, but it seems more peaceful. I was slower on the indoor track today,  but oddly I was much better on the basketball court. I completed my ten free throws in record time today.

Dawn loves to sit out in the sun even on hot days like we've been having lately. I let her out when I returned from the gym and kept an eye on her so she wouldn't get overheated. Five or ten minutes outside is plenty of time in this weather. When I start to get hot, I know she's getting hot as well and we come back inside. Our air conditioner is still working well. Knock on wood. I really hope it doesn't break down this summer.

I read an article yesterday that said that short naps were good for the brain and could actually cause it to grow. Just what I wanted to hear. I usually take a short nap in the afternoon and today was no exception. Dawn doesn't run away as frequently now when I take a nap in the bedroom. I think that's a good sign. I'm not typically an optimistic person, but I do think that she'll eventually learn to trust me.

These weeks go so quickly now. It doesn't seem like a week since I've been mall walking, but it's almost time to go again. Mall walking is a nice change of pace from going to the gym. Both places are indoors and the air conditioning works well. We'll take Dawn for ice cream cones tomorrow, but it's way too hot for a mid-day walk during our Sunday outing. I think Dawn is fine with just getting ice cream.

I wish I could hibernate like a bear until Fall arrived. I keep looking at the weather forecast and all I see is an endless string of triple digit days.

Morgan is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4965

Another Saturday in the books. We see lots more people on our weekend sunrise walks. The park was full of runners this morning. I guess if you like to run, this would be the time to do it. Since we got up later this morning, it was already a bit warmer outside. We still had an enjoyable walk though because there was a nice breeze.

I'm glad we slept in later because I didn't get much sleep last night. Dawn woke me up several times itching and scratching. We don't know what is bothering her, but she's been itching and licking her belly a lot lately. I think she's itchy from sitting out in the grass, but it could be anything. Since she mostly does this at night, maybe she's allergic to the comforter or blankets on the bed.

After our big weekend breakfast I did my weekly grocery shopping. I had to get gas today and was surprised at how much prices at the pump had gone up in just a week. I don't think there are any gas shortages, but I haven't been keeping up with the news. It's weird how volatile prices are these days. At least eggs are a bit more reasonable now.

Strawberries have been in short supply for several weeks. This week I saw something new called hydroponically grown strawberries. They looked a lot fresher than the regular berries. I thought they might be expensive since there was no price listed on the display, but they turned out to be about the same price as strawberries grown in the ground. We'll see what they taste like when I resume eating shredded wheat and fruit on Monday.

It's kid of irritating that stores have quit selling my favorite beer. Maybe the company doesn't brew it anymore. Probably it just wasn't a big seller. If I like something there's always a good chance that nobody else does. At any rate, I finished my shopping fairly quickly this week. It probably helps that I'm starting earlier now.

After I put the groceries away I went back to the gym. I like going to the gym on weekends because it is virtually empty. It's easy to find a spot in the parking garage and there were only five people on the floor when I arrived. The gym is quite large and five people working out are almost invisible. I felt like I had the place to myself. Even though all the machines were available, I just did my same old routine. I briskly walked three miles on the indoor track and then spent ten or fifteen minutes on the basketball court. All I do is shoot free throws. If I ever get really good at this, I may try something else.

When I returned home I took a shower and did a load of laundry. I got some author copies of SpaceFlight in the mail with my article about the AX-2 launch. All in all it was a pretty good day. Tomorrow I'll go mall walking, but it will probably be too hot for Dawn's Sunday outing. We'll take her to get ice cream cones though. She'd be real disappointed if we forgot the ice cream cones.

Tink is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4958

Today was busy. I surprised myself with how much I got done. I do set the bar pretty low these days though. Maybe I was a bit more energetic because it was cooler today. For the first time in a long time the temperature didn't top 100 degrees. When 90 degrees seems cool, you know it is summer in Texas.

I was hoping to sleep in this morning but Dawn had other ideas. She wanted a walk. It was actually very nice out early this morning. Too bad these sunrise temperatures don't last very long. By the time we finished our big weekend breakfast it was already hot.

I got my grocery shopping finished early this morning and filled the car with gas. My grocery list wasn't long, but I still had to go to several stores. I think grocery store parking lots are more dangerous than most roads these days. People are always racing around looking for the last available parking spot. You've got to be careful or you'll get hit.

When I returned home I defrosted the little refrigerator. I have to do this every few months. It's too bad that these little dorm room refrigerators aren't self defrosting like a regular refrigerator. This thing was supposed to be temporary, but somehow it has become permanent. We can't get a bigger main refrigerator because it fits in a little alcove in the kitchen. A lot of modern refrigerators won't fit in this 1950's sized space. At any rate, a big refrigerator plus a small dorm room refrigerator seems to work just fine.

While the little refrigerator was thawing out, I washed the car. I should just start going to a car wash because cleaning the wheels is harder than it used to be. Whenever I have to kneel down for any length of time, I realize that my knees aren't in very good shape.

Even though the temperature didn't top 100 degrees today, it was still too hot to take my long walk in the park. I went back to the gym again and did my three miles on the indoor track. I was a little slower this morning but I didn't care. No basketball today because other people were using the court. I went back to the store on the way home to pick up a few things I forgot. In retrospect, the day wasn't really that busy, but it was busy enough for me.

I still haven't heard whether I've been approved to attend next Wednesday's Falcon Heavy launch. Approval notices seem to come later and later these days. I guess it doesn't matter because I've more or less decided that I'm not going to bother with this one. It just seems too expensive to make a quick trip to see something I've already seen many times before.

I hate to think what next month's electric bill is going to be. The air conditioner has been running non stop. At least I can do my walking indoors for the rest of the summer. Tomorrow I'll skip the gym and go mall walking instead. Both places are ice cold. I have to wear a long sleeved shirt when I go walking in these places. It remains to be seen whether it will be too hot for Dawn's Sunday outing tomorrow, but we'll go get ice cream cones anyway. We're definitely back to our regular schedule now.

Pongo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4944

It was quite pleasant on our sunrise walk with Dawn this morning. It was overcast, the temperature was in the low 80's and there was a nice breeze. I was seriously considering taking my long walk in the park today because the weather seemed better than it has been for several weeks. Then the sun came out. By the time we finished breakfast this morning it seemed like a completely different day. I would be returning to the gym again.

First things first though. I had grocery shopping to do. As luck would have it, a lot of things on my list weren't available today. Sam's Club didn't have strawberries. Central Market didn't have any orange juice and their strawberries didn't look fresh. Their juicer must have been broken because there were very few fresh squeezed juices at all. My favorite beer has totally disappeared from the market as well. I had trouble finding the brand last week and this week it had disappeared from all the stores. I have this problem a lot. Frequently things I like aren't terribly popular. Store routinely drop items that don't sell well now. They look at register data and only restock the items that are selling best. That's why a lot of stores are full of unhealthy food.

Since I had to scrap my plans for a walk in the park, I headed back to the gym after I put the groceries away. I tried to get Dawn to go outside an pee before I left, but she had no interest. Dawn doesn't like the heat. She's a smart dog. I don't like the heat either.

The gym is always pretty empty on weekends. It's a very large space, but their were only about half a dozen people on the floor today. My workout was the same as it's been all week. I walked briskly around the indoor track for three miles and then spent fifteen minutes on the basketball court. One of these days I'm going to have to start working with weights again, but that can wait. When I get my Fitbit steps and close all three rings on my Apple Watch activities app, I'm ready to go home.

I stopped at another grocery store on the way home because I started thinking that hot dogs would be good to have for dinner while Janet was away. I got uncured Wagyu beef hot dogs with no Nitrites or preservatives. They were still hot dogs though. Definitely not the healthiest meat, but very tasty. I don't understand grocery stores anymore. The checkout clerk asked if I brought my bag with me. What? I was confused and told the clerk to just put my items in one of their bags like they usually do. Janet told me later that this store charges for plastic bags now and had added ten cents to my bill. It seems weird that they are trying to cut down on pollution by eliminating plastic grocery bags, while literally everything in the store comes packaged in plastic.

When I returned home I did a load of laundry, paid some online bills, and took a nap. Dawn actually stayed with me on the bed which was a surprise. I've got a lot to remember while Janet is away. She takes care of giving Dawn her meds, filling water bowls several times a day, and fixing Dawn's breakfast. I feed Dawn dinner and her late night snack. Janet packages all Dawn meds in little baggies labeled for morning and evening on each day she is away on vacation. When I give the pills, I put a check mark on the calendar. With Dawn you have to do everything in the right order. I need to remember that she goes down to the park to poop after breakfast, never before. I do the same thing after dinner. Hopefully she will come out to the kitchen to eat her breakfast this time. The last time Janet went on vacation I had to bring her breakfast back to the bedroom and then stay out of sight while she ate. Dawn is a picky, stubborn dog who is set in her ways, but I still think she's great. We'll do OK next week.

Trevor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4937

I tried going to bed early last night, but didn't really get any more sleep. I woke up this morning thinking it was Sunday. Nope. Only Saturday. Our sunrise walk with Dawn was a little cooler this morning. There was a nice breeze too. You appreciate the little things during a heat wave.

We had a big weekend breakfast this morning and then I did my grocery shopping and ran my weekly errands. I went to the bank and then stopped at a tire store and got a valve stem cover for a rear tire that had been missing one. I filled the car with gas and then went to Sam's Club where I discovered that the app I use to avoid the checkout line no longer worked with my new phone. I tried to fix things in the store but couldn't remember my password. Luckily I could still check out the old fashioned way. Eventually I got the app working again when I returned home. It's a learning process. I'm sure this won't be the last problem I'll have getting the phone configured.

When I got the groceries put away I went to the gym. I find walking in the park more enjoyable, but nothing outdoors is very enjoyable in this heat. The gym was pretty empty this afternoon. I walked three miles on the indoor track and shot free throws on the basketball court again. I need to start doing something different, but when I finish these two things, I'm usually ready to go home. The best thing about this gym is that they keep the place extremely cold. You have to make a real effort to work up a sweat at this place.

This afternoon was slow. I just didn't feel like doing anything. I did some bookkeeping on the computer and then took a nap. Dawn still doesn't like me napping with her, but she'll have to get used to it. It's a hot summer and I have a feeling that there are going to be a lot of naps in the days ahead. I can't decide whether to hire someone to fix the damaged sheetrock in the ceiling, or attempt to do the job myself. I've repaired cracks in the ceiling before and it's not all that hard. It is messy though. The easiest thing to do is just keep thinking about it and do nothing. This is what I've been doing with the screen door that needs to be fixed and the plan seems to be working.

Dawn wouldn't eat her dinner tonight. This was weird. She is always eager to eat her dinner. I thought something might be wrong, but as soon as Janet returned home Dawn ran to the kitchen and gobbled everything up. She was just being moody. I keep telling Dawn that she's running out of time to bond with me. Janet is going on vacation later this month. Dawn will eventually get used to life without Janet in the house, but she's not a happy camper. She is definitely a one person dog.

I'm already starting to hear fireworks going off. Dawn isn't scared of fireworks, but I feel sorry for the dogs who are. It's going to be a long four days for these dogs. We used to walk down to the lake and watch the fireworks displays on July 4th. We don't even bother anymore. There are too many mosquitos and ants at night.

I guess I'll go mall walking again tomorrow. I have a choice now since my gym is open on Sunday again, but I've grown to enjoy mall walking. I wonder what I'll see this week.

Bentley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4930

Just a normal Saturday. We took Dawn on an early walk to avoid the heat, we had a big weekend breakfast, and then I got ready to do my grocery shopping. My grocery list was a little longer than usual today and I had to go to four different stores. I do my shopping earlier now, but the roads are still crowded. A lot of newcomers have moved to Dallas in recent years. A lot of them have apparently arrived recently because today I saw almost as many out of state plates on cars as Texas plates.

I'm really not fond of crowds. Every time I'm out and about, I grow nostalgic for the emptiness and wide open spaces of West Texas. Dallas is way too busy these days. I'm glad my working years are over. I'd hate fighting this traffic every day on the way to work. I got my shopping done as quickly as I could and headed back home. There are always surprises on my shopping run. I couldn't find my favorite brand of beer today and had to pick something else. I did find real whipping cream though, which has been in short supply recently.

It was too hot and humid to walk in the park this afternoon, so I headed back to the gym as soon as I put the groceries away. The gym was fairly empty this afternoon but there were people already using the basketball court so I didn't get to shoot baskets today. I walked around the indoor track until I got my Fitbit steps, worked on upper body strength with a few machines, and went back home again. It wasn't really a serious workout, but it was as good enough for me.

I'm still thinking about getting a new phone. There's nothing wrong with my current phone, but Janet's new phone has renewed my interest in getting something better. It isn't that hard to justify a new phone. It seems like I spend half my life using three Apple products. It's hard to imagine living without an iPhone, Apple Watch, and a computer anymore. I lived many, many years with any of these things and I'm not sure being connected had made my life better. I'll probably get the phone though. The newer cameras on these phones are great and there's an app for everything these days.

All my activity seems to take place in the morning lately. I finished all my shopping and was home from the gym before noon. I didn't do anything useful this afternoon. I wandered aimlessly around the house and took several short naps. There are definitely things that need attention, but it just seems too hot to start anything. I'm trying to decide whether to attempt painting the house myself. It's time. I've done this before but it's a messy job and I'm a lot older now. For now, I just keep looking at problem areas and wishing they'd go away.

I guess I'll go mall walking tomorrow. I discovered that my gym has reopened on Sundays now, but I've grown to like mall walking. Mall walking lets me observe the world without actually interacting with it. Maybe I need a weekly reminder of how silly and superficial our society has become. At least I've got a choice of things to do indoors now. Until this weather cools down a bit, it might be a while before I go walking in the park again.

Rio is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4923

Very little happened today, but it still seemed like a long day. We had to get up very early this morning because Janet had an all day event to go to. For the first time since last winter, we took our sunrise walk in the dark. Dawn wore her lighted coller and I clipped a small LED light to my shirt. It was just like old times.

After breakfast I checked my messages and got ready to do my grocery shopping. My list wasn't long this week, but it still takes a while. I've started shopping earlier recently. The stores aren't as crowded and the selections seem a little better. The only downside to shopping early is that I've got more time to fill when I return home.

I had planned on going to the gym again today, but there was a nice breeze and it was overcast outside, so I decided at the last minute to walk in the park instead. It would have been cooler inside the gym, but I just didn't feel like driving anymore. Even though the humidity wasn't as bad as yesterday, I was still soaking wet by the time I returned home. In retrospect, it might have been better to go to the gym.

The light inside the refrigerator burned out today. It took me a while to figure out how to replace it. The light was behind a translucent cover and I couldn't figure out how to get the cover off. I save everything, but couldn't find the manual to the refrigerator. I tried to find a service manual online, but I couldn't find our particular model. Maybe the refrigerator is too old. I eventually got the cover off without breaking it and then wasted even more time looking around the house for a 40 watt appliance light bulb. I knew I'd bought this type of bulb before, but it's been a while. After a major search, I found a single 40 watt bulb left at the bottom of a shoe box full of old incandescent bulbs. Mission accomplished.

This afternoon was uneventful. I did a load of laundry and paid some bills on the computer. Dawn was in a bad mood because she thought Janet had been gone too long. She wasn't excited at all when I came home with my groceries. I eventually got her to go out in the back yard and pee, but all she really wanted to do was sit in the bedroom and sulk. I've really got to figure out a way to bond with this dog before Janet goes on vacation again.

I need a project, but I don't feel like starting anything new. All the old standbys don't seem to work anymore. I don't play my guitar or write songs anymore. I've already photographed every inch of the park and am losing interest in carrying a camera around. The last thing I want to do is start a home repair project, even though there are plenty of things that need attention. I would like to spend more time down at Kennedy Space Center, but that's just too expensive. It's too bad that Dawn doesn't like me to nap with her. A long nap always sounds good.

Finally it seems like there is no more severe weather in the forecast. It's going to be hot for the next week, but I can always go to the gym or just stay inside here at home. I'll go mall walking tomorrow morning. Hopefully, Dawn will still get her Sunday outing. If it's too hot we'll just go for ice cream.

Bali is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4916

Why do grocery stores keep changing the location of everything? It's irritating. They must think you will buy more if you have to search for the items on your shopping list. I couldn't find the aisle with all the spices this morning, so getting more pepper will have to wait until next week. Wherever you go, there are fewer and fewer cashiers and more self-checkout stations. Central Market just replaced a large section of cashier stations with self-checkout machines. I ended up in this section by mistake and will make a point not to go there again. The new machines weren't working correctly and kept ringing up the items I scanned twice. You couldn't correct this mistake yourself. You had to wait for someone from the store to come reset the machine. These machines won't let you buy alcohol without an employee checking your ID either. Good grief. Even a machine should know that I'm 75 years old.

I'm not totally against automation. I like the app that Walmart and Sam's Club use to let you bypass the checkout line. You scan the items on your phone as you are shopping. This is much easier than rows of self checkout stations near the exit. I don't think this trend is going to end any time soon. Pretty soon there won't be a need for employees in stores at all.

There were lots of severe weather warnings for today, but once again we didn't get any rain at all. I keep planning to go to the gym, but always end up taking my long walk because I'm tired of driving. With all the warnings about large hail I didn't want to risk leaving my car out in the open either. It was hot and humid today but that didn't stop me. I trudged along, completing my regular route at a very slow pace. Truthfully, I've grown tired of taking a long walk every day, but these walks are still preferable to other exercise alternatives. I'd probably gain ten pounds if I quit walking entirely.

I have quit thinking about switching from cable TV to a streaming service. It's easier to just pay a bit more and stick with something familiar. The experimenting I did yesterday convinced me that streaming is a bit of a nuisance. I don't watch TV that much, but I still like using a regular remote to change channels. Oddly our TV has a built-in Alexa which I have never activated. I think you are supposed to talk to your TV and tell it what you want to watch. Not for me. I'm becoming more an more like my Dad. He refused to use computers and used an old manual typewriter for most of his life. Maybe is is natural to become resistant to change as you grow older. Why relearn something you already know?

I got a press proof of my article about the AX-2 Mission from my editor at SpaceFlight. The article looks nice and they used four of the launch pictures I took. Whenever I see these articles in print, it makes me want to do more of this type of thing. I don't have any strong desires these days, but writing about rockets and attending launches at Kennedy Space Center is enjoyable. It's not a good way to make money though. None of the launch photographers I know are getting rich. Hmm. Is this a hobby or an occupation? It's hard to tell sometimes.

The weather is supposed to be much nicer tomorrow. I'll go mall walking in the morning and then we'll take Dawn on her Sunday outing. It doesn't bother me that we do the same thing every week. Actually it's kind of comforting.

Escher is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4888

Every time I go shopping on Saturday I'm amazed at how much traffic there is. The roads are crowded and the stores are full. The city has changed a lot in ten years. I often fantasize about living in a small town with excellent health care and great veterinarians. Unfortunately, I don't think these places exist. It could be a lot worse though. At least I don't still live in Seattle. That city has really changed a lot. Whenever I visit another large city, Dallas starts looking a whole lot better.

The weather forecast last night said that it would be raining all day. It didn't rain at all. Now the forecast says it will be raining all day tomorrow. We'll see what happens. Whatever happens, it doesn't look good for replacing the roof next week. I'll wait until Monday to call the roofers though. A lot could change over the weekend. I'm torn between wanting to get the roof done immediately and postponing things until the middle of Summer. I know that the roofers will want to go ahead despite the weather and make all kind of promises they can't keep. If they only worked during completely dry weather they wouldn't have much business this Spring. 

The stores seemed unusually crowded today. Maybe it was because it's Mother's Day tomorrow. I might be imagining things, but prices still seem to be going up every single week. It's discouraging. I found what I needed though. I'm glad I only need to do this once a week. I don't even need to get all the groceries either. Janet gets some things and I get other things. I doubt this routine will ever change. It seems to work.

It was nice outside when we took our early walk with Dawn, but by the time I was ready for my long walk, it felt like Summer was already here. I was hot and mildly uncomfortable walking this afternoon. How am I going to make it through July and August?  Today's temperatures were nothing compared to what's coming our way later in the year. I've walked my way through Summer before and I guess I can do it again. I'm not looking forward to July and August though. I guess I can always go to the gym. They keep my gym very cold.

I'm talking myself into going down to Florida for the AX-2 launch. SpaceFlight has already expressed an interest in doing an article and I think I'm going to get credentialed for this one. Even though these trips can get expensive, I'm not spending money on other things these days. When I'm sitting here doing nothing, I can think of all sorts of reasons to go. When I'm paying for these trips, I can think of a lot of reasons to never go again.

If it doesn't rain tomorrow, we'll take Dawn on her Sunday outing. I'll go mall walking either way. One good thing about mall walking is that the weather doesn't matter. It's always exactly the same inside. 

Haley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4881

It was a typical Saturday. I walked and went to the grocery store. That was about it. I didn't have any problems finding things today. My list wasn't long though. I knew Janet was going to be gone tonight and I didn't feel like cooking, so I just got some chicken salad for dinner.

The day started as usual with an early walk with Dawn. We hit an all time record high temperature today, so this early walk was the only time when it actually felt nice outside. Dawn enjoyed her sunrise walk, but later in the day she didn't even want to go outside. I can't blame her. I did go out for my long walk later in the morning, but I think Dawn had the right idea. This was the first day this year that I regretted walking in the park instead of going to the gym. It was just too hot.

How am I going to make it through another hot summer? Last year I wet down my clothes and hat on hot days before I started walking. I'll probably have to start doing that again soon. The clothes were always dry again by the time I returned home, but this did cool me down for a while. Today's walk was uneventful. The meadows are green and full of wildflowers, but I have no desire to take pictures. I think I already have good pictures of almost everything in the park.

There has been rain in the forecast all day, but so far nothing had materialized. I stayed dry on my walk, but I wouldn't have minded getting rained on. It was unusually  and humid today and my clothes were quickly covered in sweat. There was some sort of native prairie appreciation day going on at the park while I was out walking. I was surprised at how many people were attending. There were numerous booths set up and several groups were taking tours of the grasslands. I guess I just take the park for granted since I live here, but it is a special place.

Janet is at a rescue event tonight, so Dawn has reverted to her fearful mode. I got her to come out and eat her dinner, but she will probably just sit on the bed and shake until Janet returns. It's a shame that Dawn doesn't feel comfortable when Janet is gone. I'm around the house a lot more than Janet is and Dawn would be a lot happier if she could just get used to this. 

Home is definitely the best place to be today. I turned on the TV while I was eating dinner and discovered that there had been a mass shooting at a large outlet mall north of town that Janet and I have shopped at a number of times. This is the last place I would have expected something like this to happen. Sadly, no place is safe anymore. We live in a dystopian world that appears to be crumbling around us.

The mall shooting won't stop me from mall walking tomorrow. Plane crashes don't stop me from flying and seeing accidents on the road doesn't stop me from driving. I am more cautious as I grow older though. I don't feel comfortable being out late at night these days. I guess I'm not the same person who used to play in bands at clubs at all hours of the night. It's a shame that the world doesn't feel safe anymore. I'm glad that Janet and I did our traveling when we were younger. I have no desire to visit New York City or San Francisco anymore.

There's a storm headed our way, but hopefully it won't rain long and we'll still be able to take Dawn on her Sunday outing tomorrow. I don't know when we'll be able to start the roof replacement. I see rain in the forecast for the rest of the month.

Patches is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4874

Life is back to normal. Dawn seems happy that I am walking her again. Only a dog could appreciate a regular routine more than me. After our early walk with Dawn, we had a big weekend breakfast and then I did my Saturday grocery shopping. I only went to one store today and managed to find everything I needed. I should do this more often. Shopping is a lot easier when you don't have to visit multiple stores. I probably won't be able to do this again next week because I didn't need shop towels, laundry detergent, orange juice or my favorite beer today. Sam's Club still has the best prices on bulk items and Central Market is the only place that sells fresh squeezed, cold press juices. Today I only went to Tom Thumb.

It didn't take long to unpack my bags and put everything away. It pays to travel light. I did all my laundry from the trip and put that away as well. Now I'm ready to go again. The only thing preventing me from taking another trip to Kennedy Space Center is the expense. I'm getting ahead of myself though. I haven't been approved yet for any future launches and I'm too tired to go anywhere anyway. I sleep better and eat a lot healthier when I'm at home. Even though I got to bed late last night, I slept better than I have all week.

The weather was nice today. It was chilly when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk, but it warmed up to the mid 60's later in the day. This is perfect walking weather. I don't need a heavy coat and I don't get hot and sweaty either. The park looks great this Spring. With all the rain we've had lately, there is an abundance of wildflowers and the native prairie grasses in the meadows are lush and green. I need to enjoy this while I can. By July or August all these areas will look parched and dry.

The baby owls must still be in their nest because all the bird photographers were back this morning. The park department has posted signs that say "do not disturb, sensitive nesting area," but nobody reads signs anymore. Photographers still surround the tree with the nest. I wish people would leave the animals alone. They are constantly feeding the ducks bread, which is very bad for them. Today I saw a little kid try to pick up a turtle. Luckily his mother told him to stop. It was a snapping turtle.

I made good time on my long walk today. It aways helps when the weather is nice. It's probably time to retire my current pair of Hoka shoes. They don't provide enough support anymore and are slowly starting to disintegrate. A good pair of hiking boots will last a lifetime. A pair of running shoes is lucky to last a year. I've already got a replacement pair of Hokas, but I'm trying to get as much use out of the old pair as possible.

It looks like the weather will be nice again tomorrow, so Dawn will get her Sunday outing. We've had a lot of rain, so hopefully the park we go to on Sunday won't be muddy. I'll go mall walking again tomorrow as well. The park is great, but it's still nice to have a change of pace every once in a while. The Falcon Heavy launch I went down to Florida to see has been rescheduled for tomorrow evening. I'll watch that on the Space X live feed. The weather down there is still iffy, so we'll see if the launch gets scrubbed again.

Parker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4867

By my low standards it was a busy day. After taking Dawn on her sunrise walk, I ate breakfast and began my Saturday errands. I filled the car with gas and did my weekly grocery shopping. The stores weren't crowded today, but everything still felt expensive. I don't think prices have changed recently. They just always seem high. 

I took my long walk a little early today because I knew I needed to pick up my unsold gear at the guitar store. There were lots of people walking dogs and I almost got run over by a bicycle. I saw my first baby ducks of the season today. A female Mallard was swimming with at least eight small ducklings behind her. Usually I see lots of baby ducks at this time of year, but these were the first I've noticed. Children were feeding bread to the geese again right in front of a big sign telling them not to feed bread to ducks. Nobody listens. I made decent time today because the weather was nice, but my feet still hurt.

When I finished my walk I went to the guitar store and picked up an unsold Ensoniq ESQ-1 and an ancient Moog rack mount device. I'm not even sure what the Moog thing does. It's definitely not a synthesizer. A mixing board that I used to use with my last band is still missing. I wasn't much help, because I couldn't even remember the brand of the mixer. I kept telling the owner of the store that it was big and heavy and was inside a square brown flight case. I wish I'd taken a picture of the thing, because I can't find anything like it on eBay. Maybe it's just too old. The ESQ-1 was much heavier than I remembered. It was in a flight case too and I had trouble lifting it into the car. This obsolete gear immediately joined a lot of other ancient and useless stuff in the storage warehouse. 

I don't know why I have so much trouble throwing stuff away. Almost everything in the storage warehouse still works because I always took good care of my stuff. I doubt that I'll ever use these things again though. The ESQ-1 was state of the art when I got it back in the late 1980's. Not so much anymore. I don't even have room to set the keyboard up in the office these days. It is probably destined to gather dust in the storage warehouse forever.

To my credit, I have managed to get rid of a few things. I sold most of my guitars, at least half of my model train collection is gone now, and most of the art I accumulated over the years has been sold at auction. I still need to get rid of the watches, but it's not worth the effort to sell most of them because they aren't worth anything. I never bought expensive watches and was mostly interested in things with strange and interesting dials. I have hundreds of odd and mostly useless watches. 

It looks like it is going to be raining when I go to Titusville next week. This is disappointing because I'm almost certain that the launch won't be canceled or postponed before I leave. It always rains in Florida and if you postponed launches whenever rain was in the forecast, these rockets would never get off the ground.  Even on a rainy day, there's always a good chance that the skies will clear by launch time. I've seen completely clear skies two hours after a big thunderstorm. At any rate, I'll fly down there and take my chances with the weather, just like I always do. 

It's supposed to start raining here later tonight, so I'm not sure that Dawn will get a Sunday outing tomorrow. It looks like it will be raining for most of the day, but our forecasts are often wrong. We'll see what happens. We can still go and get ice cream cones whether it's raining or not.

Mindy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4860

Grocery day isn't as easy as it used to be. Stores always seem to be out of the items on my list. I had to go to several stores to find strawberries. I had a hard time finding the shredded wheat I eat for breakfast too. I couldn't even find the dry roasted peanuts I usually buy. I needed to get more coffee today and I almost bought Lousiana style Coffee+Chickory. I couldn't remember what Chickory tasted like though and didn't want to end up with a case of coffee pods I didn't like.

The traffic is terrible on Saturday now. It didn't used to be this way. It doesn't matter what time of day I leave the house. It always seems to feel like rush hour. The parking lots at some grocery stores are treacherous. I think you run a bigger risk of having an accident in one of these parking lots than on the road. Whenever people see an empty spot they rush to grab it before the next guy. I survived, but I'm really beginning to miss living in a small town.

I think I figured out why I haven't heard anything about the Viasat-3 launch. They just announced that the launch has been postponed until the April 24th. Many of the other April launches have been postponed as well. I don't have a clue what is going on now, but I'm not going to worry about it. If it is meant to be, I'll go. Some of the other launch photographers are actually coming to Texas now. They want to see the first Starship orbital launch on Monday. One of these days I'll make it down to Boca Chica, but for now, going to Florida is much easier. There aren't a lot of places to stay on South Padre Island or Brownsville and hotels fill up fast when a launch is imminent. There are lots of snakes too and Space X frequently changes Starship launch dates without much notice. OK, I'm just making excuses. It's mostly the snakes.

It was a good day for walking again. The temperature was in the low 70's with light clouds. I keep looking for the eagles, but they have been very illusive. They abandoned the nest they built earlier in the year, but they are definitely still in the area. We saw one of them two days ago. I need to start carrying a better camera with me just in case I see something interesting. My phone is good for wildflowers, but not much else.

If I knew that the Viasat-3 launch wasn't going to take place until the 24th., I might have made plans to go out to the observatory for their annual Dark Sky Week. On the other hand, I haven't heard any calls for volunteers this year, so maybe they don't need me anyway. I wish that place wasn't so far away. It's very peaceful out in West Texas. Of course there are lots of snakes out there as well. Texas is full of snakes.

I wish the little Chinese restaurant in our neighborhood hadn't gone out of business. We felt like Chinese tonight and I had to drive a lot further to pick something up. One-by-one, a lot of my favorite restaurants are disappearing. Whenever we do go out to eat, the restaurants are usually crowded, so business ought to be good. I don't know why so many restaurants are disappearing. At any rate, dinner was good tonight. I just wish the places I like were closer.

I guess I'll go mall walking again tomorrow. I really should rake leaves as well. First things first though. It's time for Dawn's Sunday outing again.

Krissy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4853

Another grocery shopping Saturday is in the books. The stores were really busy today. Everyone must have been picking up food for their Easter dinner. Not me. I was just following my usual list, picking up unappetizing items like Swiffer Sweepers and paper towels. Janet had a Honeybaked Ham gift card, so we'll be having a spiral cut ham for our Easter meal, along with enough side dishes to use up the card. I wonder how ham because a traditional Easter dish while Turkey is featured on Thanksgiving? I've always heard the term "Christmas Goose," but I've never eaten a goose in my life. I don't think I'd want to since I've grown fond of the geese I see everyday at the park.

It was overcast for most of the day, but quite warm. Dawn got a nice early walk and then we had our big weekend breakfast. After I finished shopping and filled the car with gas I took my long walk in the park. I was unusually slow today but I don't know why. I wasn't tired and it didn't feel like I was walking slow. Sometimes I think my Fitbit lies.

Most of the early Spring wildflowers are blooming now. The flowers appeared later than they did last year,  but they're all here. I'm even seeing a few Monarch butterflies. I see lots of people planting things in their yards and the landscaping crews are busy. I think Winter is officially over. Let's hope our mild Spring weather sticks around for a while. Pretty soon it's going to be hot again and my long walks are going to be miserable.

It's a good thing I didn't go mall walking today. The entire mall was evacuated due to some unspecified threat at the Nordstrom store. The threat turned out to be unsubstantiated, but it was just another reminder that we live in a large city. I actually think this happened once before at Northpark. The mall is back open again, so I'll be mall walking tomorrow morning. It's just a shame that these type of things happen so often. In the world we live in, a mall evacuation doesn't even seem that strange.

I wish I'd hear something about the April launches I've applied to attend. Some of these take place soon and I still haven't heard anything. Oh, well. I guess I just have to learn to be patient. I always seem to receive notification with just enough time to make last minute reservations. I'll probably never get a good deal on airfare or hotels, but I've always managed to find a place to stay. If I don't get approved for anything, I'm going to wish I'd planned a trip out to McDonald Observatory instead. It's definitely time for some kind of trip.

Dawn will get her Sunday outing tomorrow, but I'm not sure if the ice cream store is open on Easter. If the store is closed, we'll give her a little ice cream at home. I won't be mall walking tomorrow because Easter is one of the few times during the year that the mall is closed. I hope everyone has a happy Easter and gives some thought to the significance of the day.

Cooper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day