Day 4839

I hate getting old and forgetful. Today I accidently left my wallet in my pants while I was doing a load of wash and all the paper ID cards inside basicallly disintegrated. Any cards made of plastic were fine, but more things than I thought were made of coated paper. I'm trying to dry this stuff out, but in some cases it's a lost cause. Everything can be replaced, but it's a big hassle and will involve a lot of phone calls. Will I ever do this again? I certainly hope not.

Other than being irrationally fearful, Dawn seems fine now. We've reduced her meds to a minimal dose and will discontinue them entirely in a few days. Dawn seems strong and moves around normally now. The swelling on her neck is gone and her collar fits normally again. If we could just get her to quit shaking her head so much, she might be fine for quite a while. She does have a bulging disc in her neck though, so we need to be careful. Unfortunately it's very hard to tell a Dalmatian to be careful.

I got my grocery shopping done this morning without any problems. I found everything I needed easily and prices seem to have stabilized. The weekend traffic is still horrible, but what else is new? At least the weather was nice today. A beautiful Spring day makes everything a little easier.

Dawn seemed completely normal today, so I felt comfortable leaving her alone in the house while I took my long walk. She wasn't really alone that long because Janet didn't leave the house until I was on my way home. It was easy to get 21,000 steps today because I did a fair amount of walking while I was out grocery shopping. I can't say that I made good time though. I may never make good time on these walks again. My painful feet are really a problem. You've got to keep moving though. I'm convinced that a healthy diet and staying active are the secret to a long life.

The park is really pretty at this time of year. The early wildflowers are in full bloom now and new flowers will be appearing weekly for at least the next month. I keep thinking we're having an early Spring, but really this is just a normal Spring. The flowers always start blooming around this time of year. I wonder if I'll ever see the eagles again? I know they are in the area because the birders have staked out several areas to watch for them. I would never have the patience these guys seem to have. They bring lawn chairs and an array of cameras with long lenses, often waiting for hours for the birds to appear. I just get lucky occasionally when I accidentally happen to be in the right place at the right time.

I had a nice conversation with a neighbor I seldom see while I was out walking today. We both used to play in bands back in the day and chatted about guitars, our dogs, real estate values, and changes in the neighborhood. There have been a lot of changes in the neighborhood. Janet and I have lived here over 35 years and the place has undergone a lot of gentrification. I liked the place a lot better before the park became a popular destination, but I guess you can't stop progress. It's probably a good thing that the neighborhood has become desirable, although I couldn't afford to buy a house here anymore. People definitely aren't trying to escape from this place.

It looks like tomorrow will be another clear Spring day, so Dawn ought to have a nice Sunday outing. I'll go mall walking indoors even though the weather outdoors is just about perfect. Mall walking on Sunday has become part of my regular routine.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4824

Dawn is getting tired of wearing her harness all the time, but it's for her own good. We need a handle to grab if she starts to go down. No falls today, but she's still pretty fragile. Dawn is learning to walk up the step to the bed, but you've got to watch her like a hawk. Her instinct is still to jump on and off the bed like she used to. We have a nice dog bed on the floor, but she is reluctant to use it. Dawn is a very stubborn dog.

I hate to see Dawn so sedated, but if it's bed rest she needs the plan seems to be working. I watched her this morning while Janet was grocery shopping and she mostly just slept. There is no anxiety now and she seems relaxed. The real test will come when her meds run out. Strangely, the hematoma on her ear seems to be getting better because she can't shake her head anymore. I think the swelling in her neck is better today, but it's hard to tell.

Yesterday's hard rain just seems like a bad dream now. Today was beautiful and the ground was dry again. Did the sudden storm even happen? The sky was clear this morning and our roof leaks stopped fairly quickly. I guess I'll take what I can get. Historically it always rains a lot during this time of year. Increasingly, it does seem like we are having an early Spring. It's hard to imagine more snow and ice when the air conditioner is running in March.

I wrote a letter to my sister today and took it to the post office. Traffic on our street has gotten impossible, It took me ten minutes to get out of the driveway. It doesn't matter what time of day you are out and about. It always seems like rush hour these days. The traffic and crime in the city make me wish I lived in a small town. That's not going to happen though. We like our neighborhood by the lake, the house is paid for, and moving anywhere is way too much trouble. Moving is for younger people. I moved around a lot during my 20's and 30's. It didn't seem like a big deal back then, but I can't imagine doing that sort of thing now.

I wonder how long I'm going to be able to continue walking six miles a day? It seems harder now. My last mile was terrible today. I walked a lot faster when I was trying to avoid the rain yesterday. I'll continue walking because it's good exercise and so much easier than driving to the gym. I do wish that it wasn't such an effort to remain physically fit. Growing old isn't all that fun.

I think I'm going to need a new phone, a new computer, or maybe both. Increasingly, things I use a lot aren't supported anymore. I can't update the system on my phone, computers, or even my watch because they are all too old. Safari is worthless on my computer now so I've had to switch to Firefox. I can't even upgrade my watch anymore because the watch says I need a newer phone. On and on it goes. Apple basically does a terrible job of supporting old hardware. Like most companies they just want you to buy new stuff.

Tomorrow is my grocery day. I wonder how expensive everything is going to be this week? Inflation seems fairly relentless when you like to travel and are living on a fixed income.

Ely is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4790

Shopping is not a pleasure anymore. Traffic is unreal these days. Even at 10 AM Northwest Highway looked like the worst evening rush hour I've ever experienced. Where are all these people coming from? It feels like the population of Dallas has doubled overnight. Stores are crowded and shelves are empty. I routinely have to go to several stores to find things that I used to find in a single location. Prices keep rising and in an effort for keep prices lower, many stores are replacing familiar national brands with their own private labels. Most of these private label brands seem to be of lower quality. It's sad. As soon as we reset our expectations and learn to accept this new reality, I suspect things will get even worse.

What happened to our ice storm? It's like it never even happened. The weather was nice today. It was much warmer and the ground is almost dry again. We had a great walk with Dawn this morning. She really missed her walks during the storm. I think we're almost back to normal now. I cleaned and put most of the buckets away and did a huge load of wash. It seems like every towel and cleaning cloth we own was put to use when there were leaks everywhere. I thought all the leaks were gone, but after the temperature warmed up a very small leak reappeared in the office. This leak has finally stopped as well, but I'm still leaving a container under it just in case.

The roof estimator wanted to come over a little early, so I postponed my long walk until after he finished looking at things. He seemed a bit overwhelmed by all the problems I was having. The guy was young and I don't think he had dealt with many flat roofs before. He took a lot of pictures and said he was going to confer with someone at the company who had a lot of experience with my type of roof. Later in the day I got a call from someone who seemed to have a wealth of knowledge about anything related to roofing. She didn't even live in Dallas and said she worked with roofing companies all over the country. She seemed to know a lot about my particular roof and had the exact dimensions, even though the guy who came out never took any measurements. She said there is a company that uses satellite and drone imagery to provide this information for roofing companies. Welcome to a new world where practically everything is outsourced. The woman said that she would have a specialist in residential flat roofs contact me next week. So far, so good I guess. This wasn't what I was expecting, but I will say that this company has been very responsive. I'm going to stay optimistic even though there is more rain in the forecast for next week.

My long walk was slow today. I had a lot of foot pain. There's not a lot you can do about osteoarthritis. Bone on bone contact of any nature is going to be painful. They say that a change in diet can slow down the degeneration of cartilage, but it may be too late for that already. I don't know if I could do it anyway. You are supposed to give up alcohol, red meat, cheese and other dairy products, refined carbohydrates and sugar. Jeez. What's left?

I did get my steps today. I've been surprisingly active lately. At least working on the roof had a few benefits. I got 24,000 steps yesterday and 22,000 steps today. Walking is still enjoyable, but it's starting to take a toll on me. I feel quite tired after I finish my long walks these days. I guess that's the point, isn't it? You are supposed to feel tired after exercise. 

It looks like it is going to be nice tomorrow, so Dawn will get her Sunday outing again. I'll probably go mall walking as well. I don't get as many steps when I go walking at the mall, but I need a change of pace from my walks in the park at least once a week. Mall walking when the stores are closed is strangely peaceful.

Duke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4342

Prices still seemed outrageous when I went shopping this morning. Inflation is real and I don't think it's going away any time soon. People will get used to the new prices and eventually they will seem normal. It's always been this way. Prices from everything from gasoline to butter routinely go up and down, but at the end of the day they always seem to be higher than they used to be. When I was in college, gasoline was 25 cents a gallon and a $40,000 house was considered expensive. I wish I'd bought a $40,000 house back in the day and held on to it. I could sell it for millions now. I wish I'd bought that 1956 300 SL Gullwing I saw on sale for $25,000 when I lived in Seattle. That car would definitely be worth more than most houses today. The problem was that when gas was 25 cents a gallon, I was young and had no money. 

Prices have always seemed to rise faster than wages and yet most people seem better off than they used to be. All the little frame houses in our neighborhood are gradually being replaced by McMansions. When I was grocery shopping this morning, the parking lots were all filled with shiny new cars. I guess I really don't understand economics. We complain about high prices, but as a country we appear to be doing really well. There will always be poverty, but I think it was a lot more prevalent when my parents were young.

It was only 39 degrees when we got up this morning. This meant we had to wear warm clothes when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk. Dawn, like most Dalmatians, appears to like the colder weather. I complain a lot, but I don't really mind it either. It's a lot easier to add clothes when you're cold than to subtract them when you are hot. 

When I took my long walk after I finished grocery shopping I saw one of the eagles again. It was more distant than it was when I saw it a few weeks ago, but it was still easy to tell the bird was an eagle. The size of these birds and the white head makes them pretty distinctive. I walked across an open field trying to get closer to the eagle, but all I managed to do was twist my ankle. My feet are a mess these days. I really need to stick to walking on pavement and well defined trails.

Grocery shopping and my long walk used up a big chunk of the day, so I didn't feel guilty about doing nothing for the rest of the day. I went out to pick up Chinese take-out for dinner and was amazed at all the traffic. Where were all these people going? It felt like the entire city was on the move. Heavy traffic is the main reason I don't like to drive anymore. Driving on empty roads out in West Texas is a completely different experience.

I watched the Starlink launch on the Space X live feed this morning. This would have been a really pretty launch to see in person. Kennedy Space Center was covered in a thick ground fog and only the top of the rocket poked through the cloud bank while it was on the launch pad. It kind of looked like a science fiction movie where the Falcon 9 was taking off from a different planet. I would have loved to photograph this one.

I would have loved to photograph the eagle I saw today too. I don't think I have the dedication though. Some of the local photographers hang around the area for hours, hoping to catch a glimpse of the bird. It's usually a photographer who points the eagle out to me. I would have missed the bird today if it weren't for a photographer crossing my path holding a camera with a long telephoto lens. "See the eagle over there," he gestured toward me as he raced to get his shot. Sure enough, there it was.

I guess people are still reading the blog. My niece sent me a picture of my Mom in uniform after reading my Veteran's Day post.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4321

I got the grocery shopping done early this morning to avoid the crowds. I wish I'd discovered this plan a long time ago because it works like a charm. Nobody appears to want to do their shopping early on a Saturday morning. There wasn't a lot on my list this week, but I had trouble finding something for dinner tonight that wouldn't give me heartburn and we would both like. I settled on chicken pot pies, risotto, and brussel sprouts. We'll see if that works. Very little does these days. Last night I had terrible heartburn and didn't get a lot of sleep.

I'm continually amazed at how much traffic there is in Dallas now. It's not the same city that we moved to in the late 1970's. The place feels more like Los Angeles now. It's not surprising that I don't like to drive. When I was younger I lived in the city because it was a great place for business. There were opportunities everywhere and I did well. Now I live in the city because the healthcare resources are so much better than in a small town. Living out in the country is so much more peaceful though as long as you stay healthy. I guess I'll never know if I made the right choice.

It was pleasant outside when we took Dawn's sunrise walk, but by the time I finished my grocery shopping and was ready for my own longer walk, it was already too hot. I thought our summer weather was over, but it was pretty warm this afternoon. It is Fall though. Some of the trees are starting to turn, but it doesn't look like we are going to get a lot of color this year. Usually there are already a lot of leaves on the ground by now. This year is different and most trees are still green. I guess we won't be going to the fair this year. The State Fair is already over. Where did the time go?

My foot pain issue seems to have resolved itself. I'm walking normally again without any pain medication.  I'm always going to have issues with my feet because there isn't much cartilage left to cushion the old bones. The Hoka shoes allow me to keep moving though. They are so much better than anything else I've tried. The only problem is that they don't last very long. I guess I'll just have to get used to buying shoes more often. Running shoes and hiking boots are not the same thing. I've had hiking boots that have lasted for decades.

I watched the Ariane 5 launch in French Guiana this evening. Next up for this rocket is the 10 billion dollar James Webb Telescope which will launch this December. I imagine that there is a lot of pressure to see that this launch goes perfectly. The huge telescope has been under development since 1996 and has endured numerous delays and complications. There is no backup for this mission. If the launch fails, decades of work and billions of dollars go down the drain. I'm always amazed when complex missions like this work as planned. I can't even get my car or our furnace to work perfectly.

The weather looks good for tomorrow, so we'll be taking Dawn on her Sunday outing again. I wonder if Dawn gets bored doing the same things over and over again. She seems excited to take this slightly different walk, but also a bit apprehensive. I guess I understand. I'm the same way about doing new things, even when they aren't very new anymore.

Freckles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4139

Whenever I'm grocery shopping on Saturday I always wonder if there is a holiday I've forgotten about. The roads are so crowded and the stores are so full that I'm convinced that something special must be going on. Nope. Nothing to see here. I just live in a city that is growing by leaps and bounds. It took me a while to find everything on my list today. Maybe I ought to do my shopping on a weekday. Unfortunately, it probably wouldn't make any difference. Dallas is always crowded.

I arrived home later than usual and the house was empty. Janet and Dawn had already gone on their walk.  When they returned, Janet told me that Dawn couldn't wait. I did wait a while before taking my own longer walk. I was tired. I used to enjoy shopping. Not anymore. People are rude. Stores are often out of stock of the things I need. And I'm growing tired of wearing a mask.

At least it was a nice day. It was a little humid for my taste, but the weather was warm and I was able to wear shorts and a t-shirt. The park was definitely crowded today. There was a regatta at the lake and the water was filled with small sailboats. The cyclists were out in force and groups of all sizes were having picnics and barbecues. This happens every Spring, but this year it feels a little different. People are emerging from lockdown and there is a definite celebratory mood in the air. I'm not in a party mood myself, but it is nice to see people happy again. I just wish everyone would clean up their mess when they leave the park.

I wore my snake boots while I was running errands this morning to see if they would be uncomfortable to take on my trip to the observatory. Yep. They fit fine but are definitely uncomfortable after a while. Any shoe where the sole bends is uncomfortable now. This is unfortunate because it makes a rather large collection of perfectly good shoes virtually worthless. The only shoe I can wear for an extended length of time are my Hoka Bondi 7's with their ridiculously thick rigid soles. Do I choose comfort or a perceived  but unproven protection from snakes? We'll see. I've still got some time.

I wrote some photographers who attended the Crew-2 launch and asked whether they would share their secrets with me. One guy wrote back and told me that he didn't get his application accepted by NASA either, but the Air Force helped get him on-site. It looks like I'll have to pursue this route in the future. I do have Air Force accreditation for 2021, but I haven't tried to use it yet. When you view a launch from Patrick Air Force Base you can't get as close as you would be if you were watching at the NASA press site, but it's a lot better than watching on the beach somewhere. I'm still hoping that I can find a way to get back in NASA's good graces. They provide interview opportunities and lots of other perks if you manage to get accredited under their auspices.

Janet and I discovered that Dawn will stay in the kitchen with us if we switch chairs at the kitchen counter nook where we often eat. I'm a little further away from Dawn's bowl and dog bed now. Don't ask why we actually want a dog hovering around the table while we eat. Normal people would probably be happy if their dog stayed in the bedroom. We've had Dalmatians for so long now that it doesn't seem right if there aren't dogs underfoot at mealtimes. I'm totally used to dogs waiting for table scraps to fall on the floor while they are drooling on my shoes.

I don't know how much longer I can postpone mowing the front yard. Weeds are already starting to overpower the grass. Maybe I'll give it a try tomorrow. My shoulder and back didn't feel too bad today and the grass isn't going to mow itself.

Sadie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3989

I think Dallas has decided the coronavirus is over. People cetainly weren't sheltering in place today. There were traffic jams everywhere and the stores were packed. I had to pick up some last minute items for tomorrow's Thanksgiving dinner and it seemed like the entire town had the same idea. The grocery store that I went to was so crowded that I had trouble moving from one aisle to the next. I got what I needed though. Janet and I will have a nice Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.

The storm last night was intense, but it was over very quickly. The thin line of storms passed through town at about 50 miles and hour and within fifteen minutes it was all over. We got a lot of rain within a short amount of time and there were some momentary high winds, but we didn't have any damage. One thing we learned was that Dawn does very well during a storm. We all sat together in our pitiful little hallway "safe space" during the worst of the storm and Dawn was completely calm. She just lay down between us and waited until the coast was clear. Petey and Dash would have totally lost it and Dot wouldn't have done that well either. A lot of our former dogs have had severe storm phobias, but Dawn just takes the weather in stride. I think she's more fearful of men than she is of tornadoes.

I succumbed to temptation and got the camera. There was no real justification for this purchase, but I knew that six months from now when the camera was full price again, I would be kicking myself for not getting it when it was on sale. I have plenty of cameras, but this is something I will definitely use. There are several innovative features that will be very useful the next time I find myself at Kennedy Space Center. My next attempt at astrophotography might benefit from this camera as well. At any rate, the deed is done. Now I have to read the instruction manual and learn how to use this thing.

I got a reminder call about my eye exam on Monday. Once you see a doctor about anything, they make sure that you'll continue seeing them forever. My vision is still good, although I need readers now for close up work. My vision would probably be even better if I hadn't spent so many years staring at a computer screen. The eye doctor says that I am slowly developing cataracts, but I can't notice any changes yet. Eventually, I'll have to deal with this, but cataract surgery is still way off in the future as far as I'm concerned. My distance vision is still 20/20 and I want to keep it that way. Good vision is important to almost everything I do. Hopefully the eye doctor won't throw me a curve on Monday.

We had a really nice walk this morning. Last night's storm seemed to have cleared the air and I didn't have any allergy problems at all. Lately it's been a little chilly when we leave the house, but we warm up quickly. Dawn loves the cool Fall weather and has been eager to walk these days. There are days when it's hard to get her out of bed, but today she was waiting at the door for us. It's nice to see her back to her old self. That seizure last month really had us worried.

I hope that tomorrow's celebrations don't cause a big virus spike. I'm tired of listening to pundits attempt to pin the blame for all this on somebody. If there is a huge spike, we'll never hear the end of it. Have a nice Thanksgiving. Eat too much and watch footfall afterwards. Just don't sit grandma right next to your college age kids at the table.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day