Day 4959

Not a bad day, even though everything about it was very predictable. We started out with a nice early walk with Dawn. Why can't the weather stay this way all day? The temperature was in the high 70's and there was a nice breeze. It's amazing how quickly things warm up though. The temperature didn't reach 100 degrees today, but it was still a very hot day.

After another big weekend breakfast, I checked my messages and went to the mall. I go mall walking earlier now because the place is quieter and more peaceful. It's surprising how many people go mall walking. It often feels like a normal business day except that the stores aren't open. I've done this so many times that I'm familiar with all the window displays now. Some change weekly and others never change at all. There were quite a few changes today. Maybe stores are already transitioning from Summer to Fall merchandise. It's a mystery how many of the little stores can remain in business. Even when I go to the mall during the week, these stores never seem to have any customers.

It always takes me about an hour to complete my walk. On the way home I usually listen to Stephen Dubner's Freakonomics Radio. Most of what I know about economics comes from listening to this show. Even though I returned home earlier than usual, Dawn was ready to go on her Sunday outing. She knows our routine really well by now, especially when it involves her. It was too hot to take a long walk, but we took a shorter walk in the Sunday park to let her get outside for a bit.

We always end our Sunday outing with a trip to the ice cream store. Technically this stuff is called Frozen Custard, but it tastes like ice cream to me. How much ice cream we get depends on who is serving the cones. Today we got a lot. Dawn loves ice cream, but she is a messy eater. She'd probably love anything that she got to eat in the car.

As usual I didn't do much this afternoon. More bugs seem to be getting into the house this summer. It must be the heat. I had to chase down a wasp and a cricket this afternoon. There are still a ton of things that need attention around the house, but most are projects I've been trying to avoid for years. I hate to paint and sheet rock repairs are so messy. I may end up doing these things myself anyway, just because I hate having strangers around the house. Doing my own repairs will save a lot of money as well.

It's strange that I still haven't heard anything about the EchoStar Jupiter 3 launch. This thing is supposed to take place on Wednesday and credentialing notices still haven't gone out yet. I guess it doesn't matter anyway. I've decided not to go to this one. I really want to see the first Vulcan Centaur launch, but that has been postponed until the end of the year. Oh, well. Winter in Titusville is much more pleasant than Summer anyway.

I have no big plans for tomorrow. No little plans either. So far it looks like it's going to be a long, hot and very uneventful summer.

Jewel is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 4603

Such a long, hot summer. Every day is more or less the same. We get up and take Dawn on a sunrise walk. I make the bed and then eat breakfast. It's always shredded wheat topped with peaches and strawberries. I do the breakfast dishes by hand even though we just got a new dishwasher. I check my messages on the computer, putter around the house for a little while, and then go to the gym. It's kind of a boring routine, but it's better than no routine at all.

My routine at the gym seldom varies either. If nobody is using the basketball court, I always try to shoot 25 free throws before taking my walk on the indoor track. I used to just try to get 15 baskets, but I'm getting a little better. The direction people walk or run on the track changes every day, so I usually have to check and see if it is an odd or even day. It takes fourteen trips around the track to walk a mile. I always walk two miles and occasionally I walk three. Often I go home after I finish walking, but sometimes I stay and work with free weights for a while. The same people seem to be at the gym every day. I guess I'm becoming one of them.

As soon as I get home I let Dawn out to pee. Usually she likes to lounge in the grass for a while, but lately she wants to go right back inside. It is just too hot to lounge in the sun. If I'm hungry I'll fix myself a sandwich, but I don't always eat lunch. Afternoons are when I miss being employed. I used to always have writing jobs to keep me busy. Now there is very little that captures my attention.

Today I upgraded the firmware on the star tracker again. I'm always a little apprehensive when doing this, but the tracker still works. I point the tracker at various planets and galaxies using the app on my phone, but all I get are pictures of my office ceiling. I seldom take the tracker outside. Again, it is just too hot. I am getting better at using the thing though. I'm pretty sure it is pointed where it is supposed to be pointing and occasionally check for accuracy using other astronomy apps on my phone.

Dawn is still not wild about sharing the bed with me, but she doesn't get up and leave the room when I take an afternoon nap these days. I guess that's progress. Dash used to follow me around the house all day long. Dawn follows Janet around and tries her best to ignore me when I'm home alone with her. I doubt that this will ever change. Dawn is just not comfortable around men. 

I still wish that NASA would hurry up with a schedule for the Artemis-1 launch. I'll feel more comfortable when I know I don't have to change my airline reservations. I got a notice today that I could apply to attend the next crewed launch to the ISS. I think I'll pass on the Crew-5 mission though. I have a feeling that the Artemis launch will be my last trip to Florida this year.

I've got a dentist appointment tomorrow. Hopefully I don't have any cavities. It doesn't seem like six months since I've been to the dentist, but time flies when you are doing nothing. 

Snoopy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 4576

I know this is not the hottest summer on record. It's seems that way though. How did I survive all those other hot summers? As the temperature rises, my desire to do anything diminishes. A trip to somewhere nice and cool would be welcome at this point.

Our sunrise walk with Dawn is still the nicest part of the day. We start before the sun comes up, but it is usually above the horizon on our way home. As soon as we see the sun, you can instantly feel the temperature rise. I still wonder how people lived here before there was air conditioning.

Since it was way too hot for a walk in the park, I went to the gym this morning. I went pretty early because I couldn't think of anything else to do. I was surprised that the place has reinstated their mask rule. I thought we were over that. It's kind of a silly rule. You have to wear a mask when you enter the building and are signing in, but you don't have to wear a mask when you are actually exercising. A very small percentage of the members keep their masks on all the time. Probably one of them complained and the rule was reinstated. 

I didn't stay at the gym long today. I just walked enough on the indoor track to get my steps. I didn't even feel like shooting baskets today. When I got home I continued the window cleaning job I started yesterday.  There were more hornets following me around today, but I didn't get stung. I did find a big nest and destroyed it. Hopefully hornets and wasps aren't valuable like bees. I really hate the hornets. There are still more windows to clean, but after about an hour I'd had enough of the insects and the heat and came back inside.

Dawn seems to know that Janet is back for good. She's much more relaxed now, even when Janet is out of the house. I don't know why this dog doesn't like me. We both like to do the same things. Napping and snacking aren't a bad way to spend the day.

Now that I'm up to date on the latest star tracker firmware and have watched the two movies that seemed vaguely interesting on Amazon Prime, I don't know what to do with myself. I could go to a camera store and buy something I don't need, but inflation has made me feel poor. I'd like to attend the Artemis-1 launch, but NASA has been slow with credentialing. I still don't know if I'll get press credential yet. It's not worth the trip without credentials because you can't get close enough to get good pictures. I guess I could start taking pictures in Dallas again. I used to do this a lot, but the city has become way too crowded. I don't enjoy getting out of my own neighborhood anymore. I'd rather drive halfway across the state to the Davis Mountains than visit another part of town.

I'll probably go back to the gym tomorrow. If I was smart, I would just keep walking after we finish our sunrise walk with Dawn. It's still pretty nice very early in the day. I like having breakfast before I start my day though, and by the time I finish breakfast it is already too hot. Oh, well. I'm sure I'll think of something to do. There are still more windows to clean.

Isabella is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 4566

Dawn and I made it through the first day OK. She was reluctant to eat her breakfast this morning, but finally decided she was hungry when I added a little gravy to her bowl. She did much better with dinner tonight. She's taken her meds and we're still working on getting her outside to poop. Things that were easy when Janet was home are a bit more difficult now. I'd say all in all we're doing fine.

I got groceries much earlier than usual this morning. I should do this more often. The stores weren't crowded at all. My list wasn't long this week, but there were still a few things I needed. I don't know why I  always worry that I'm going to have car problems when I'm on my own. Probably because occasionally I do have car problems when I least expect it. All went well though, and I was back home again before we're usually finished with breakfast on the weekends.

I thought about going on a long walk this morning, but it was way too hot. Dawn didn't get a sunrise walk because she didn't want one. When Janet is gone, she does her business as quickly as possible and heads straight back to the house. That's OK with me. The last thing I want is to have her freeze in place or start acting weird when we are far from home.

Since it was already near 100 degrees when I finished my grocery shopping I wisely decided not to attempt a long walk today. I went to the gym instead. Hey, the car worked well for grocery shopping so I figured it would work well again. My gym is never crowded on Saturday. This seems a bit counterintuitive to me, but I always like an empty gym. I shot baskets for a while and then walked long enough on the indoor track to keep my Fitbit happy. I think I exercise more to keep consistent stats than to actually improve anything. There are a lot more serious people at the gym than me, but I'm still probably getting some benefit from this. It's always good to keep moving.

I wrote a letter to my sister today and took it to the post office. I wouldn't need these letters if she read the blog. That's a lost cause though. I may pretend to be a Luddite but she's the real deal. No complaints about writing letters though. Writing letters is good. It's better for the soul than adding three or four emojis to the end of a text message. I used to keep up a running correspondence with at least half a dozen people. Now it's down to this one letter a month.

Dawn isn't going to get an ice cream cone tomorrow. She seldom rides in my car and would be terrified if I tried to take her somewhere without Janet. She seemed terrified just going down to the meadow behind our house to pee this evening. Hopefully she will start to relax soon, but it will probably take a couple of more days.

I don't have any big plans for tomorrow. No little plans either. I'm going to have to start my long walk really early to avoid the heat. Going to the gym isn't an option because it is closed on Sunday. This would actually be a good time to binge watch movies on Netflix, but I'm not that kind of guy. I'd rather lie on the couch and stare at the ceiling than watch movies on TV. Maybe I'll fiddle with the star tracker again. That's definitely still unfinished business.

Shiner is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3823

We thought we'd give Dawn a treat this morning, so we took her out to breakfast at a dog friendly restaurant. I thought she'd like this little outing because Dot and Dash loved going out to eat. New things make Dawn nervous though and she had a hard time relaxing. Even getting to share our breakfast with us didn't help much. She was much happier when we returned home and she could hop up on our big bed again.

Dawn did enjoy her walk this morning and walks made her nervous in the beginning as well. We've already come a long way. Dawn was a breeding dog and had a hard life before she entered the rescue program. A lot of things we take for granted she has never experienced before. We'll try the restaurant again sometime. We know that she does love food.

The weather was still very pleasant in the morning. You have to get up really early to avoid the heat though. We took our walk right at sunrise and ate breakfast afterwards. A lot of other people seem to have the same idea. No matter how early we start there are always plenty of runners and cyclists on the trails.

It's been a year since the severe wind storm that blew down our Elm tree and destroyed the greenhouse in the back yard. It's amazing how quickly a year can go by. The greenhouse still hasn't been repaired and a large Oak tree that received some damage in the storm hasn't been removed either. I got bids on replacing the greenhouse months ago, but now we are just thinking of tearing it down and putting our driveway in the back. Traffic continues to get worse and worse on our street. Being able to easily get out of the driveway seems more important than a greenhouse now. Janet and I could never keep plants alive anyway.

I think the liquid nitrogen treatment I received is working. Some of the actinic keratosis spots on my face have already started to scab over and fall off. I may need one more treatment to get rid of this stuff for good, but it does seem like a fairly painless and easy remedy for something I was initially fearful of.

I'm still having trouble remember what day it is. Ever since the pandemic started all days seem more or less the same. I almost went to the grocery store this morning until Janet reminded me that it was only Friday. I did go to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription this afternoon. I think it was the first time I've driven the car this week. I used to fill up my tank once a week. Now, once a month seems plenty.

It looks like it's going to be another long, hot summer. During the Spring rainy season I can't wait for the rain to stop. As soon as it gets hot and things start to dry up, I'm wishing the rain would start again. This is the perfect time to finish repairs on the roof except that the roof is so hot it will burn your skin. We'll see how much gets done tomorrow. Maybe walking Dawn in the morning is enough.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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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

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Day 3491

I guess I was surprised that the carpenter actually showed up. My expectations are pretty low these days. I liked the guy. His life seemed like the carpenter's version of mine. He'd worked for a number of large construction companies and employed other people himself before concluding that he was happiest working alone. He asked all the right questions and seemed knowledgable. If his bid seems reasonable, he'll be the guy I use to rebuild the greenhouse. Hopefully, by the end of the Summer I can cross this task off my list.

I also called a sculptor friend to see if she could repair a backyard sculpture that got broken during the same June storm that destroyed the greenhouse. Since I was feeling industrious, I climbed up on the roof to see if I could patch some small tears in the elastomer coating using the Liquid Rubber in a Can that I bought at Costco a few weeks ago. After examining the area carefully, I chickened out and begged the roofer who's trying to avoid me to bring me a new supply of the Armor Flex silicon material instead. If I use anything else, I think the repair will fail because silicon only sticks to silicon. The Liquid Rubber in a Can also had all sorts of danger warnings in very small print in the can. I don't have a good feeling about this stuff.

I was a little envious to learn that several of the folks I went to Kennedy Space Center with were participating in Apollo 11 50th Anniversary events today. One got invited to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama to hear Buzz Aldrin and other Apollo era astronauts speak at a special 50th Anniversary Dinner. Another was at the Smithsonian in Washington DC for the unveiling of the restored spacesuit that Neil Armstrong wore on the moon. A third was taking his wife to see a Duran Duran concert in the Rocket Garden at the Space Center. There wasn't much on my agenda. After talking with the carpenter, I just took another very hot walk in the park.

I don't know why this summer seems like the hottest ever. Last year it was well over 100 degrees at this time. I remember a year that was so hot that the lake started to dry up. So far this year it is only in the 90's. It still seems miserable to me though. Maybe I'm just getting old. I need to start watering the grass more often. Everything is turning brown and going to die soon. I hate the thought of humongous water bills though. I find myself wishing for rain and hating rain at the same time. Basically, I'm ready for Summer to be over.

Fifty years ago this morning Apollo 11 started its journey to the moon. There certainly wasn't anything momentous going on today. As I channel hopped while I was drinking my smoothie for breakfast the only things on the news was more of the endless bickering you see in Washington DC these days. I'm enjoying all the documentaries about the Apollo 11 Anniversary, but I wish something equally exciting was going on now.

In lieu of excitement, I picked up a prescription at the pharmacy and finished updating the Dalmatian Rescue website. At least I did something today.

Laura is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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