Day 4697

I spent several hours trying to find a better hotel for my next trip to Titusville. No luck at all. Everything is completely booked. Even the place where I'm currently staying is completely booked now. I'll be OK, but I hate it when the reviews start with "smells like pee." I guess I'm a little surprised that the Artemis-1 launch is still such an attraction. After two failures, the chance of a third failure is still fairly high. Maybe others are going back for the same reason I am. If I stayed home this time it would almost guarantee that there would be a flawless, trouble free launch. I guess I still want to see this thing, even if the launch now takes place at midnight.

I don't know why I thought it was Friday for most of the day. I guess I'm just ready for this week to be over. The day started like any other weekday. We walked Dawn in the dark. I ate my breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit, checked my messages, and then contemplated taking another long walk in the park. 

Before leaving on my walk, I made some final edits on my Falcon Heavy article and selected a few pictures to accompany it. I summited the article and a few hours later received a thumbs up from my editor. I'm disappointed that I didn't have better pictures, but the article itself was pretty good. I hope the magazine will be interested in another article about Artemis. I'm not sure though. SpaceFlight devoted much of their November issue to the Artemis-1 mission and the rocket didn't even launch. Hey, I've still got my credentials though. I might as well see this thing through to the end.

I had a nice walk this morning even though I got rained on a bit. The weather will be much worse tomorrow. There are tornado warnings with a chance of quarter sized hail. There's only a 10% chance of a tornado in our location, but any chance at all is always unsettling. I'm really glad I got the tree removed from the roof before the bad weather starts. Any significant wind could have caused the large branch to fall and break something. I don't think any rain is expected until tomorrow afternoon, so we'll still be able to take Dawn on her early morning walk.

I finally found a carpenter to fix the rotted fascia on the side of our house. I found the guy on the Internet. I guess that's just how you do things these days. This guy had good reviews, but I still prefer a recommendation from friends. Since most of my friends are closer to going into assisted living than they are to remodeling their houses these days, we don't trade home improvement recommendations very often. I certainly don't know who to recommend anymore. Most of the people I've used in the past have either retired or died.

My Fitbit isn't recording my steps correctly anymore. This is irritating since I've become addicted to counting steps. I checked on the user group and saw that several other people were having the same problem. I suspect that my iPhone has become too old for Fitbit to bother with. This has happened to me before with other apps and software. When companies update software and apps so they are compatible with new hardware, older stuff like I use often gets left in the dust. One more reason to get a new phone I guess.

I hope the weather reports are wrong about tomorrow's storms. I really hate dealing with bad weather.

Wolfgang is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3512

I guess we're making progress. I got a bid on repairing the greenhouse today. The price seems reasonable, so we'll move ahead with this project. The carpenter doesn't want to begin work until the weather gets cooler. Makes sense to me. It's too damn hot to do anything. The heat didn't stop the AT&T crew from burying my fiber optic cable though. The "crew" was really just a man and his wife who spoke no English. When I asked a question, the wife got out her iPhone and pointed for me to speak into it. She had a translation app that worked surprisingly well. It answered all my questions anyway. The young couple was very nice and I kind of felt sorry that AT&T was making them work in this heat. The technician that diagnosed my problem a few weeks ago told me that the company always hires the lowest bidders to bury the lines. They probably get no benefits.

Right now I've got two lines. A nicely buried line that isn't hooked up to anything and the temporary line that is still providing my connection. Another technician will have to come back and connect the new buried line. This procedure of installing temporary lines and then coming back later with a second buried line line that needs to be installed all over again seems terribly inefficient. So, far I've had six lines pulled to my house from the street since I signed up for U-verse. Half of this fiber optic cable was temporary and was eventually just thrown away. There are probably several buried lines still under my lawn as well. Nobody bothers to pull up the old cable when they install a new one.

Coincidently, I paid my cable bill today. All these service calls explain why my bill is so high. I should call AT&T and demand that they deduct a week's service from my bill for the time the Internet was out while Janet was away. I probably won't bother though. It's like pulling teeth to make a complaint to customer service.

I'm still walking, but the weather is pretty brutal. There aren't as many joggers now, but the cyclists are still out in force. Maybe it's cooler when you are moving faster, but I suspect that the cyclists just love punishment. I keep walking because I've learned that sweating is actually good for you. Sweating can strengthen your immune system, improve circulation, lower the risk of kidney stones, unclog pores, and help fight viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Walking is also one of the best ways to keep bones strong and prevent osteoporosis too. I guess I'll keep walking. It's a slow summer and there isn't much better to do anyway.

The next thing on my list is getting my car safety inspected. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow. I could go anywhere but I usually just go to the dealership. They have free snacks and I like to look at new cars I'll never be able to afford. I've been waiting for years for the new Land Rover Defenders to arrive, but there are very few reasons to drive a rugged go anywhere vehicle anymore. Those new mid-engine Corvettes are looking pretty nice.

Janet is making me another Peach Cobbler tonight. I've been eating a lot of peaches lately. It's going to be rough when they go out of season again. Fresh peaches are one of the few good things about Summer.

Margo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1567

Dot may have slowed down quite a bit, but she hasn't lost her ability to bark at repairmen. She barked nonstop while the HVAC guys were here this morning. It's kind of embarrassing that I don't really have the ability to keep her quiet, but that's just the way it is. Dot is the matriarch of the family and she's protecting the house. That's the way she sees it anyway.

Luckily most of the work was outside today. They guys are used to her now anyway. I'm more worried that she'll work herself into a frenzy and have a stroke or something. I put a blanket over her dog gate, so she couldn't actually see the workmen. That helped a little, but she still knew they were there. 

Dash is one-third of the way through his radiation treatment now. His oncologist is very pleased with his progress. The Palladia chemo pills will continue quite a while after the radiation is finished, but so far Dash has had no problems with this part of the treatment either. Dot is the problem girl now. We've got to figure out if there is blood in her stools, and if so, why. I took a sample to the vet this morning, but the results were inconclusive. We'll do another test tomorrow when I take her for her acupuncture appointment.

I wish my Monday work load was more consistent. Some Monday's I'm swamped, and other days like today, there isn't much going on at all. There were no writing assignments today, but I did have one extensive website update to complete. With no competing deadlines, I completed this update with time to spare.

I walked Dot and Dash separately this evening and both Dogs seemed happier. Dot walks extremely slowly now, but she still enjoys being outside. Without the irritation of Dash continually tugging to go in the opposite direction, she actually took a longer walk this evening. Dash took a much longer walk, without the necessity of turning back as soon as Dot gets tired. I'd do this back-to-back walk everyday, except that it takes a lot more time.

We'll see what April brings our way. I like the warmer weather and I'm getting used to all the dog transportation issues. A little variety might be nice. Only the good kind of variety though. I don't need any more health issues or home repair problems. Small things will suffice. A different flavor of ice cream for dessert, or the occasional new magazine in the mail is all the variety I need.

Smiley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1537

I used to be really good at fixing things around the house. Apparently Elvis has left the building when it comes to home improvements. I suck at fixing things now. My heart just isn't in it anymore. I measured the can lights in the bathroom and went to Home Depot to find a replacement for the blinking light that's driving me nuts. Can lights have changed a lot over the years. Not only couldn't I find anything that looked remotely like the light in my ceiling, I couldn't even figure out how to install the new lights I was looking at in the store. So much for electrical work, I thought. I'll just paint instead. I got some painting supplies and went home to repair some of the window trim that this Winter's excessive condensation had ruined.

As soon as I got home, Janet went off to run her errands. We're trying to alternate being out of the house, so someone will always be around to keep an eye on Dash. So far, Dash is being an excellent patient. Unlike some dogs, he hasn't tried to pick or scratch at his stitches at all. For the most part, he just slept while I attempted to paint. The trouble with painting trim is that you have to sand off all the old paint before you can begin. I scraped and sanded off five layers of paint before I reached raw wood. That's probably about right for a 60 year old house. It took me most of the afternoon to prep one little window. The more I sanded, the more I realized that I never liked painting in the first place. I finally primed everything, cleaned up the paint I'd spilled and put my tools away. We'll finish this job later. Perhaps in June.

It got so warm this afternoon that we had to turn the air conditioner on. Amazingly, it worked like a charm. I remember many warm Spring days like this when I flipped the switch for the first time and nothing happened. The HVAC system is one of the few reliable things left in the house these days. The furnace and the air conditioner are both relatively new and the were installed by people who actually knew what they were doing, in contrast to the idiots who put the can lights in my bathroom ceiling. These lights were part of a remodeling project and were never as good as the original lights that came with the house. The original 60 year old ceiling lights were built like a tank and every single component was replaceable. I've taken them apart many times over the years to replace aging sockets and wiring. There is absolutely nothing that is replaceable on the newer bathroom lights.

I finished yesterday's writing assignment and sent it on its way. Luckily, I can still write a lot better than I can paint. I'd never make much of a living as a house painter. By the time I got my writing done, cleaned the sheets, made the bed, and vacuumed up the mess from my home improvement efforts, it was time to give the dogs their evening walk. Dash is still taking a much shorter walk until he is off the pain medications. I have to trick him into coming home early by walking in a circle. He won't turn around and come home if he's not ready, but apparently he doesn't even realize we are returning home if I chart our course in an extended circle. Whatever works is my motto. On a good day, I can still outsmart a dog.

Unfortunately we won't be able to go to the dog park tomorrow. It might be a long time before Dash is ready to go to the dog park again. In anticipation of another housebound day, I bought a copy of "Gravity" while I was out-and-about this morning. It probably won't be as impressive on my computer as it would be in a large 3-D theater, but at least I'll finally get to see it.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1355

Dot and Dash both got a medicated bath this morning. I wish our old self-bathe place hadn't gone out of business. The new place where we take the dogs for a bath is nice and clean, but the customers are so slow. The people ahead of us seemed determined to turn bathing your dog into a family entertainment event. They brought all their children with them and gave them each turns hosing down or putting soap on their dog. It took forever for Dot and Dash to get a tub, and as you know, they aren't the most patient canines in the world. I guess it was worth the effort though. Both dogs look a lot better now. Hopefully, Dot will be good to go for her water therapy next Wednesday.

I had a laundry list of things to get at Home Depot today. There was primer and paint for the ceiling, new stainless steel burner liners for the stove, jig saw blades, and a new Dremel tool with circle cutting attachments. I think I've got what I need to finish both the languishing sheet rock repairs and the cutting board project. Will I actually finish these projects in the next several days? Probably not.

When I was driving around this afternoon, I noticed that the Evoque wasn't in valet mode anymore. It seemed to have switched back to regular mode all by itself. I certainly didn't do anything. There is probably just some loose wiring somewhere and when I go over a bump, it switches back and forth. The weather's been so hot lately that I'm in no hurry to get the Defender back. I'm hoping now that Land Rover doesn't finish the repairs until Fall. The Evoque leaves a lot to be desired, but the air conditioning works great. It would be nice to go another year without any further overheating worries.

I had trouble sleeping last night, and as a result I had trouble staying awake today. Hopefully, the rest of the Labor Day weekend will be quiet and uneventful. I'm not sure what we'll be doing over the holidays. My new diet has made barbecue and beer a thing of the past, but there ought to be something fun to do. I'll ask the dogs what they want to do.

Domino is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1285

The first rule of home improvement should always be that after you buy the tools and supplies you need, you should never wait ten years to use them. I waited too long and none of the projects I started today turned out well as a result. I went back to Home Depot and got more supplies, but by then I was too tired to do the work. Oh, well. Probably these new supplies will suffer the same fate as the old ones I replaced.

Janet took me out for a birthday dinner tonight. She's been so busy that this was the first time she's had the time to go out in several weeks. We had a lovely, relaxed meal. It was probably as close as we've come to having an actual date for a long time. I had Wagyu Bavette with an arugula salad, asparagus, new potatoes and jalapeño cornbread. Wagyu Bavette is a lot like Japanese Kobe beef and is absolutely delicious. I drank sparkling water while Janet enjoyed a Cosmopolitan, but it was a small price to pay for having a functioning liver.

There are bees in our yard again. I don't know where the bees are coming from this time, but they sure seem to know how to find me. I've looked all over for the hive, but can't seem to find it anywhere. I wore long pants and a jacket in the 100 degree heat to avoid being stung while I was working on the house this morning, but the bees still hovered around, looking for an opportunity. Why is nature so adversarial? I always seem to be faced with stinging bees, grubs eating the grass roots, or poisonous snakes slithering through the yard. Oh, and then there are the cockroaches. I can't even begin to tell you how irritating the cockroaches are. When there are millions of them outside, there seems to be no way of preventing a certain percentage of them from getting inside.

From time to time I wonder about where I'd like to live next. I'd like a place filled with serene beauty, without being hassled by critters and bugs. Living on a beach would be nice, if it weren't for hurricanes. Living in the mountains would be nice, if it didn't get so cold. Living in a beautifully appointed high rise would be nice, if it weren't for the disagreeable homeowner's associations that come with these types of buildings. Been there, done that. I don't want a disagreeable homeowner's association questioning every move I make ever again. Maybe Shangri-La doesn't even exist. The sad truth is that I need to start seeing the glass as half full instead of half empty, and that's very, hard for me to do.

Tomorrow is dog park day. Dot and Dash have no problem enjoying simple pleasures like a trip to the dog park. Of course, they also have no problem abjectly hating simple chores like getting a bath. Maybe we aren't all that different. Life never gives you everything you want.

Kirby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1276

My feeble attempts at home improvement today were an epic fail. I bought some self-tapping screws and tried to batten down the loose 4x8 sheets of plywood under the carport. I drilled hole after hole, but never found a stud where I could attach the screws. Maybe there weren't any studs and the plywood sheets were just being held by the edges. Who knows? That would certainly explain why the wood was sagging so badly.

I didn't have much better luck up on top of the roof. I also bought a new push broom while I was getting the self-tapping screws, but it didn't seem to work as well as the old broom. The new roof has a gritty, gravel-like texture that made the broom hard to push. This was unfortunate, because after three full days of sunshine, there was still standing water on the roof. I'm beginning to think that the new roof puddles up even worse than the old roof. It doesn't leak anymore though. That's one good thing!

To add insult to injury, I got stung by bees while I was working. These were the same type of honeybees that built a hive in our house a few years ago. I looked around, but couldn't find any evidence of a hive near the house. I have a healthy respect for these bees. Wasps and hornets will often ignore you, but honeybees almost always sting. There's got to be a beehive nearby. Where there are bees, there is honey.

All this futile manual labor probably explains why I am a writer instead of a carpenter. I've never been fond of sweating or lifting heavy objects. I am pretty good at working with my hands, but only out of necessity. In a perfect world, I would live on the seventeenth floor of a luxury high-rose and never do yard work or home maintenance at all. I would spend my time sharing stories with friends over cappuccino at a friendly coffee bar. Maybe someone would make movies like "My Dinner with Andre" about me.

The dogs don't have such delusions of grandeur. I'm beginning to think they do have delusions about the temperature though. Every morning they bound out of the house as if they're eager to run for five miles. It usually doesn't take them five minutes to discover that it's hot outside and they both decide they want to turn around and go home again. I don't like the heat either, but it's getting harder and harder to get my requisite 10,000 daily steps on the Jawbone UP band with such lazy dogs.

This week has gone very quickly. I guess there's something to be said for staying busy. I'm glad tomorrow is Friday though. I'm really looking forward to my regular breakfast outing. I can't say that adding flax seed to my oatmeal has added much excitement to my life.

Marcie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1184

The dogs don't like being walked separately. Both dogs want to be the first one to take a walk and get indignant when they are left behind. Eventually, everything gets sorted out and they are happy again after they've both had their time outside. Dot's legs continue to improve, so hopefully this new arrangement will just be a temporary one. It certainly takes me a lot longer to walk the dogs separately. I know I did other things, but it feels like dog walking was all I accomplished today. Next week I'm going to take Dot in for acupuncture therapy. Acupuncture really helps to reduce pain and inflammation for some dogs, and does absolutely nothing for others. We'll see what happens. I don't think it would hurt to try.

I wonder what would happen if we selected our president the same way the College of Cardinals selects a pope. I kind of like the mystery of the whole process. It probably wouldn't work though. If our senators and representatives went into a secret room that they couldn't leave until they all reached a consensus, I don't think we'd be seeing any white smoke for a long, long time. There's a good chance they'd never reach a decision.

I approved the landscaper's bid and they're going to get started on the back yard sometime next week. That's one ugly eyesore down, three or four ugly eyesores left to go. There are a lot more things that need to be taken care of around the house, but we'll have to deal with them one at a time as money becomes available. Sometimes I think my own services are the only thing that hasn't gone up in price over the years. Everything else has become incredibly expensive.

Tonight was supposed to be the best night to see Comet PanSTARRS. I looked and looked while we were at dog training class this evening, but couldn't see a thing. The comet was supposed to be visible to the naked eye, although I'm sure very few people saw anything inside the city limits of Dallas. There were clear skies this evening, but with all the city lights and haze near the horizon, I had trouble even seeing the moon. I'll try again tomorrow. Comets are rare and it's always fun to see one.

Wyatt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day