Day 4992

We keep setting record high temperatures every single day. I'm beginning to think this heat wave will never end. They say a cold front will arrive next Monday though. For a few days the high temperature will only be in the 90's. We got a late start on our sunrise walk this morning, but very few people were out on the trails. I think the entire city has retreated indoors.

Dawn had lots of energy this morning. She wanted to take a longer walk than usual. She's still coughing a little but seems to be feeling much better. One thing we learned from the x-rays they took at the vet yesterday was that Dawn has hip dysplasia. She doesn't show any signs of discomfort yet, but this is troubling. One of our earlier Dalmatians had hip dysplasia and had to take Rimadyl for years. There is always a danger of liver or kidney damage with this drug.

After breakfast this morning I tried to do a few useful things around the house. I deep watered some trees in the front yard that were starting to look dry. Then I attempted to bleach away some of the water stains in the ceiling. This was more or less a failure. When I got a ladder out so I could inspect the damaged areas more closely I discovered that the sheetrock around the cracks was more of less ruined. It was all powdery and probably spreading a coat of mud over the cracks isn't going to help much. I need to find a tape and bed guy to completely replace the damaged sheetrock. This is going to create so much dust and mess in the house that I'm reluctant to do this yet. Maybe the solution is just to not look up at the ceiling.

I'm beginning to regret that I didn't apply to attend either the Crew 7 or Silent Barker launches. Since there is a Starlink launch as well, there will be three different rockets launching within a few days of each other at the end of the week. It would be a good time to be down at Kennedy Space Center. Oh, well. Snooze, you lose I guess. There will always be other launches later in the year.

I didn't do well at the gym today. I was slower walking around the indoor track and I was definitely off my game shooting baskets. It's weird how much things can change from one day to the next. I have a hard time telling whether it's my body or my mood that affects my performance. I got a good night's sleep last night and wasn't all that tired. I wasn't in a good mood though. Maybe that was it. Since I go to the gym every day now, maybe there's a chance to redeem myself tomorrow.

I don't think I like my new phone as well as my old phone. The touch screen seems way too sensitive. Several times the camera or flashlight apps have opened on their own while the phone was in my pocket. If the flashlight app is running in your pocket the battery can be drained in just a few hours. I guess I could always go back to using the old phone, but this new one is so much faster.

This day was more exciting for Dawn than for me. It was grocery day again. She always gets so excited when Janet returns with groceries. I need to make my own grocery list soon because I always complete the week's grocery runs tomorrow. There will be triple digit temperatures again this weekend, but I'm looking forward to Monday. The prospect of a cold front arriving sounds appealing.

Pinky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4981

Another triple digit day. They say we've broken an all time record for consecutive days above 80 degrees. I wouldn't be surprised if we've broken records for days above 100 degrees as well. Hey, we're supposed to get a break tomorrow. A cold front is on the way and it's only supposed to reach 95 degrees.

The day started normally with Dawn's sunrise walk. There wasn't much of a breeze this morning. Even before sunrise you could tell it was going to be a hot one. I had my breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit and then did a load of laundry. When the first load was in the dryer I changed the sheets on the bed and washed them as well. Changing the bed upset Dawn for obvious reasons. I was messing with her throne. I had to lead her out to the living room on a leash and then gate her out of the bedroom until I finished. She was not a happy dog.

Changing a fitted sheet sure seems harder than it used to be. Bad knees and a dislocated shoulder make this simple task a bit of a struggle. I got the job done though. I even washed all the bed coverings because they routinely get filled with dog hair. I remember when my Dad got older he started sleeping on top of his bed because he got tired of making it every day. Makes sense to me.

When I finished with the household chores, I went to the gym again. No matter what the weather is doing outside, I'm going to continue to get my steps. Traffic seemed worse than usual today and then I remembered that school is in session again. I need to remember where all the school zones are. It's an easy way to get a ticket if you aren't careful. There are more people using the gym than you typically see in August. I think this heat is driving everyone indoors. I did my three mile walk on the indoor track, completed ten free throws on the basketball court, and lifted weights for a while. Even though I completed my routine, it wasn't a great day. I was slower doing everything today.

Since I went to the gym a lot later today, I didn't return home until mid afternoon. This was probably a good thing because I was out of the way when Janet did her housecleaning. I often run out of things to do in the afternoon which makes me wonder what I'm going to do with myself when I reach my blogging goal. I've genuinely grown tired of writing these daily posts, but I like a life with structure. I've been spending my evenings blogging for so long that it's going to seem strange doing anything else. I don't watch much TV and reading tires my eyes now. I imagine I'll think of something though. Nature abhors a vacuum.

I'm looking forward to a break in the hot weather. They say the temperature will only be in the mid 70's when we take our sunrise walk tomorrow. Sadly this respite from triple digit temperatures isn't going to last. On Thursday the heat wave returns and temperatures are supposed to reach 108 degrees. I have no idea how long this is supposed to last, but it's definitely been long enough. Cooler Fall weather can't come soon enough.

Elliott is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4978

Today was busier than usual. As always we started with a sunrise walk with Dawn. The temperature was in the high 80's and it felt muggy outside, but this was still the nicest part of the day. We walked earlier than usual because Janet had plans. The days are getting shorter and it was still kind of dark outside. If we continue walking this early, we're going to have to bring out the flashlights again soon.

After my regular breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit, I checked my messages and started a load of laundry. Since it was a little cooler today I decided to cross a few outdoor chores off my list. I've been trying to avoid removing the spiderwebs from the house for a long time, but it really had to be done. The spiders make big webs under our eaves and on the West facing windows. It's really a mess removing the spiders and their webs using a big broom. I wear a hat and a long sleeve shirt because spiders are falling everywhere. After you've had a few spiders in your hair, you learn to take precautions.

It took quite a while to clean everything up, but the windows look much better now. Maybe I'll clean them all with Windex tomorrow. I need to go to Home Depot and get some spider spray as well.  If I don't spray under the eaves, the spiders will all return soon. There are a ton of spiders and wasps in our yard. It's kind of amazing that more don't find their way inside.

After I cleaned up all the spiderwebs, I watered the plants in the atrium. This used to be easy, but is much harder now that the sliding glass door won't open properly. There is a water faucet inside the atrium but I haven't used it for years. The faucet is in a brick bearing wall that is also the wall to our bedroom on the other side. Once a long time ago this faucet broke and caused a plumbing emergency. I was really afraid that the house was going to flood. A talented plumber managed to fix the leak without tearing down the brick wall and I haven't used the faucet since. I water the plants from the outside now through the screened in western wall of the atrium.

After I folded the laundry and put it away, I went to the gym. I wondered if it was some kind of holiday because there wasn't a lot of traffic on the roads and the gym wasn't full at all. There were lots of parking spots in the garage. Getting rid of the spiders must have tired me out because I did terrible on my three mile walk today. I had the slowest time I've had all month. Oddly, I did much better on the basketball court. I completed my ten free throws in seven minutes today. It used to take me eleven or twelve minutes to do this. I'm adding additional weights on my upper body exercises now. I'm only adding a few pounds at a time, but any kind of progress is a good thing.

Friday is Dawn's favorite day of the week because that's when Janet does her grocery shopping. Dawn starts listening for the car at least an hour before Janet returns. I have to gate her in the bedroom while we bring the grocery bags inside and then as soon as I open the gate, Dawn races to the kitchen. She seems to love being Janet's kitchen helper. It probably helps that she get a little sliced turkey and a bit of cheese for her efforts.

This heat wave seems like it will never end. Each weeks feels a little hotter than the last. I think the temperature is supposed to reach 110 degrees sometime next week. I've kind of resigned myself to a miserable summer and keep hoping that the air conditioner doesn't break.

Hannah is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4954

This heat wave is starting to feel a little apocalyptic. There is no end in sight. We got up even earlier this morning so Dawn could have at least one decent walk. The temperature already was in the high 80's an hour before sunrise. There was a nice breeze though, so I have no complaints. The complaints always come later in the day.

I quietly ate my shredded wheat and fruit for breakfast and then invented a number of small tasks so I wouldn't end up going to the gym too early. I like to go during the lunch hour because it is less crowded then. I watered the plants in the atrium, did a load of laundry, and took some things out to the curb for bulky trash day. I used to spend a lot of time on the computer, but this is becoming less and less rewarding. Now that the computer is no longer a tool for generating income, it is just a way to kill time. I spend too much time checking my Facebook timeline. Why? Half my feed is just ads now. I've learned that sponsored posts are just clickbait. If something in the picture intrigues you, you will never find the answer by clicking on the link. I used to love looking at pictures of people's dogs, but lately most of the dogs on my feed are desperate pleas for fosters or adoptions before the dog gets euthanized at a pound or animal shelter. There are tons of posts about lost dogs. Jeez. If you have a dog, you really need a fenced yard. You should always walk your dog on a leash as well.

Why is modern life so depressing? I hate to even listen to the news on TV these days. The endless political debates are mind numbingly pointless. Anyone who thinks that the Democratic or Republican party has the answer to our problems is a fool. We apparently haven't figured out that wars are pointless as well. There are people in this country just itching to get more involved with the war in Ukraine. Boeing and Raytheon would love to have a wider war. If we haven't learned anything from Vietnam and the pointless wars in the Middle East, we probably never will.  China probably has the right idea. I think they realized they don't need to have a shooting war. They can just poison our minds with TikTok and poison our bodies with strange new viruses.

One good thing about walking is you don't need to dwell on such things. When I'm walking outdoors I just observe the plants and animals. Ducks are surprisingly interesting. When I'm walking indoors at the gym, I do mental math in my head trying to guess exactly how far I've walked without looking at my watch or Fitbit. I don't have deep thoughts when I walk. Those thoughts are reserved for dreams. I'm glad I don't remember my dreams. When I occasionally wake up in the middle of a dream, it's clear that most of them are a little scary.

I need to get a little more creative with my workout. For over two weeks now I've done exactly the same things when I go to the gym. Today was no different. I walk three miles on the indoor track, trying to keep a pace of around 20 minutes per mile. I usually end up walking about an hour. Next I see how long it takes to complete ten free throws on the basketball court. Sometimes I'm quick. Other times I'm embarrassingly slow. My main goal at the gym is just to find a parking place inside the parking garage, so I don't have to park my car out in the sun.

I didn't do a lot this afternoon. Afternoons are for napping or if I get really bored, for monkeying around with the star tracker. I can't even remember what I did this afternoon, but the day went quickly. Tomorrow will be more of the same. Cooler Fall weather can't come soon enough. 

Beemer 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 4920

No rain today, but the humidity was so high that it felt like it was raining. At least it was overcast and relatively cool outside. The humidity would have seemed even worse if the sun was shining. I had plenty of time to contemplate the weather today. I don't think I did anything except walk and eat. 

Our sunrise walk with Dawn was enjoyable. Dawn is always eager to go on these early walks. I'm always sleepy, but this is how I wake up. I wish the entire day was like these mornings. It warms up quickly though. By the time I'm ready for my long walk, I usually think it would have been smarter to go to the gym. Today wasn't that bad. I only questioned my sanity a few times during the walk.

The loose dog I saw animal control trying to capture yesterday was still there this morning. I guess they didn't catch it. There's a story here but I don't know what it is. The dog seemed friendly and I thought it would be easy to capture. The dog probably knew what it's fate would be if it wound up at Dallas Animal Services. Maybe a local rescue group will take an interest in this dog. There seems to be an epidemic of people dumping dogs around town and most of the rescues are full. It's all kind of sad.

I'm impressed at how quickly the park department removed all the downed trees from Sunday's big storm. I saw crews working with chain saws yesterday and today almost all of the trees were gone. There were lots of downed trees in the park, so this was a big effort. The park department seems like a model of efficiency compared to other parts of city government. Maybe I just notice things since I'm walking every day, but I'll have to admit that I'm impressed.

As soon as the ground dries out I'm going to have to mow again. We've had so much rain this Spring that the grass is doing really well. Grass has overrun several gravel pathways in the yard, but I don't really care. It's green and everything looks pretty nice. I keep thinking that I should hire a lawn service to take care of the yard, but I need to stay active and it isn't that hard to keep doing things myself. What else would I do anyway? I'm not that busy.

I've got an appointment soon to sign up for TSA Pre. In theory this will make it easier to travel. It will certainly save me time at the Orlando airport. I won't be going anywhere soon though. The roof was expensive and there are other big bills this month as well. I miss my time in Titusville though. I'm already looking at upcoming launches and trying to decide which ones I really need to see. I'm sure I'll be back at Kennedy Space Center later this year however. It's important to still have something interesting to do.

Dawn did well at her training class tonight. She's not been winning ribbons lately, but Janet says she still enjoys the class and knows all the commands. I probably need some sort of training class myself. I've forgotten just about everything.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4878

Little by little I'm getting things done around the house. I think it helps to mention that I'm going to do something tomorrow on the blog because it forces me to actually do it. Today I wrote a letter to my sister and took it to the post office. I got some fire ant bait at Home Depot and treated all the mounds around the house. Fire ants are terrible this year. The park is infested with them and we have at least six mounds in our own yard. I think the fire ant bait works, but often you have to treat the mounds several times before the ants disappear. I also bought some river gravel and filled in the big pothole in the driveway. The gravel has to be the right size, but it turns out to be an effective way to stabilize an old driveway.

The weather continues to be near perfect. In retrospect this would have been a good week to install the new roof. The roofers have mentioned something about wanting to start next week, but the forecast looks like rain. With unpredictable Spring weather continuing, it's going to be hard to find a week with no chance of rain. I'm trying to enjoy the nice weather while I can. Dawn loves her early morning walks these days. Even though it is warmer later in the day, my long walks aren't so bad either. I hope this pleasant weather lasts for a while because Summer in Texas can be brutal.

My walk was pleasant today although there wasn't much to look at. The Muscovy Ducks have disappeared and only four of the resident geese remain. The White Pelicans and Double Crested Cormorants all headed North for the summer several weeks ago and there are far fewer Mallards as well. I think the Coots and the Great Egrets will stick around for the summer. 

I kept up a pretty good pace today, although I always slow down quite a bit after I finish the fourth mile. I actually have no idea whether I'm in good shape or not. I did get 20,000 steps today, but I really don't have a reference point. It's obvious that there are plenty of people my age in worse shape than me, but that isn't the point. Could I be doing better? I imagine that I could be doing a lot better if I tried. Especially if I went to the gym everyday like Janet does. For now, a relatively slow six mile walk will have to do. The long walk, doing a few chores around the house, and the blog pretty effectively fill up my day.

I was hoping to write my SpaceFlight article today, but I never got around to it. Since I've written two in-depth articles about the Falcon Heavy for the magazine already, I need to think of a new angle. The previous editor of the magazine liked my first person accounts of trips to Kennedy Space Center, but the current editor prefers more factual articles about the rocket and the mission. I kind of liked the idea of being a travel writer who mostly talked about rockets and astronomy, but I've been writing professionally for over 40 years and can write something in any style you like. Hopefully I will get the article written tomorrow before I start to forget things.

Janet said that Dawn did really well at training class tonight. She doesn't do the heeling exercises as well now that she wears a harness in class, but she does everything else perfectly. Dawn is a really smart dog. It's kind of amazing to see how well she has adapted to our daily routine. If I'm late about anything, Dawn will remind me. I hear her barking for her evening snack right now.

Milo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4877

I stayed busy today although I don't think I accomplished much. I signed the contract with the roofing company and paid my early May bills. I attempted to mow the grass in the front yard, but the mower wasn't up to the job. I either need to replace the battery pack again or just get a new mower. I used to be able to mow both the front and the back yard on a single charge. Today the batteries died before I could even finish the front. I guess I could recharge the batteries and finish things up tomorrow but my heart isn't in it. I've lost all interest in household chores.

The weather continues to be really pleasant. We had a nice early walk with Dawn this morning. Nobody was photographing the baby owls this morning, but we did see a bunny. Dawn was so busy smelling things that she didn't even notice the rabbit.

I mowed the grass before taking my long walk today, which probably explains why I was so slow. Some days these walks really seem like a chore. My feet hurt and I didn't have a lot of energy, but I did manage to finish my six miles. It's weird that I continue to do this day after day even though it is not always enjoyable. I'm a big believer in discipline. If you set a goal, you need to accomplish it. I'm slow and have my share of aches and pains, but I still think I'm in better shape than many people my age.

I don't know why I'm dreading having the roof replaced so much. We definitely need a new roof, but I keep expecting all sorts of surprises when the work begins. I want to schedule the job when there is no rain in the forecast, but that won't guarantee that it won't rain. Texas weather is full of surprises. Old houses are full of surprises too. The roofers will probably discover something that will end up making the job even more expensive. Having strangers around the house making lots of noise will scare Dawn too. In theory this will all be worth it if the roof stops leaking and I no longer have to sweep the standing water away after every heavy rain. Maybe I won't even need the pumps anymore. 

My expenses on the Viasat-3 launch trip were higher than I expected. The cost of these trips has almost doubled since I started doing them about seven years ago. Airfares have increased the most, but hotels and rental cars have gone up as well. Even meals are more expensive. I really wonder how long I can continue doing this. The magazine I write for doesn't pay expenses, so the trips just end up being a weird kind of vacation. I guess it is no surprise that most of the other launch photographers are local and live near the space center. There are several other launches I'd like to attend this year, but we'll just have to see. I'm a realist and realize that it doesn't really matter if I'm down there or not. These launch trips are just an indulgence.

There's a laundry list of things I need to do this week. I still need to apply for TSA Pre before I travel anywhere again. I need to get some gravel to fill in a big pot hole in the driveway. It's time to write my sister again since I got a letter from her. Do I buy a new mower or just fix the old one again? I need to finish my SpaceFlight Magazine article about the Viasat-3 program. None of these things are all that important but they will nag at me if I don't get them done. 

I'm sure that tomorrow will be a lot like today, but you probably know that already.

Bogart is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4876

How can it be May already? This year has really gone quickly. We've had a health scare with Dawn and I've made two trips down to Kennedy Space Center. For the most part, life has been uneventful though. I guess that's a good thing. I'm not looking for a lot of drama at this point.

Today was a typical Monday. We took Dawn on her early morning walk. I had my breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit and then I took some things to the storage warehouse, filled the car with gas, and went to the bank. I was planning to mow the grass in the front yard today but never got around to it. Oh, well. There's always tomorrow for chores I'm trying to avoid today.

It looks like we'll be starting on the roof replacement soon. The roofers want to set a date to begin and have sent me a final contract to sign. I asked Janet to read over the contract because after a career in the title business she knows far more about this type of thing than I do. Whenever I read through any type of contract, it always seems like the other party wants to be responsible for nothing and wants me to be responsible for everything. This company comes highly recommended by people we trust, but I'm still apprehensive about dealing with contractors. Once burned, twice shy is the rule of thumb here.

The weather is still very nice, but there are increasing signs that Summer is on the way. I guess it's time to take the protective covers off the outdoor faucets and shut off the ones that were set to a slow drip during our short spell of freezing weather this Winter. I need to decide whether to buy a new lawnmower this year. I don't know whether the old mower is going to survive another season. Everyone else in the neighborhood uses a lawn service now, but I hate dealing with others for things I can still do myself. Obviously I can't put on a new roof myself, but I can probably still manage to mow the lawn.

I still need to write my article about the Viasat-3 launch and send it off to SpaceFlight Magazine. I'm disappointed that I didn't see the launch in person, but it won't affect my ability to write the article. I did get a lot of good pictures while I was down at Kennedy Space Center. I just didn't get any of the launch itself. I could probably send pictures of a previous Falcon Heavy launch and nobody would know the difference. Viasat-3 was the fourth Falcon Heavy launch I've attended and these night launches all look exactly the same.

I had a pleasant long walk this morning although I was surprisingly slow. I was actually feeling pretty good, but my pace was terrible today. I still don't understand why I'm not more consistent on these walks. My elapsed time for the entire walk can vary by up to eight minutes. We've had lots of rain this year, so the park looks unusually green this year. When we moved here over thirty years ago, I didn't realize what a special place this was. Just got lucky I guess. The neighborhood is very stable and we live near one of the largest urban parks in the entire country.

I don't have any plans for tomorrow. Not to worry. I didn't have any plans for today either and the day turned out OK. 

Betsy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4875

It was a beautiful day. When we took Dawn on her early walk, the sky was clear and there was no pollen in the air. I'm glad the allergy season appears to be over. I'm seeing FIrewheels in the park now. These are usually the last of the Spring wildflowers to appear. Like it or not, Summer is not far away.

We had another big weekend breakfast this morning and then I got ready to go to the mall. Mall walking on Sunday has become a regular part of my routine. The mall was surprisingly quiet today. For some reason there were no small children. Why would everyone decide not to bring their kids to the mall on this particular day? Maybe it was the weather. It was so nice outside that going to a playground was probably a better alternative. 

I'm still surprised to see something new almost every single week. One new store opened today and another moved to a different location. Many of the window displays have changed. Virtually everyone is featuring summer clothes now. I try to notice little changes in each window. I guess I do the same thing when I am walking in the park. I think being observant keeps the mind sharp. Some people do puzzles or play Sudoku. I try to remember the names of wildflowers I see and make inferences about the state of the world based on store window displays.

When I returned home, Dawn was ready for her Sunday outing. It was a perfect day for a walk. I was a little worried that the ground would be muddy, but everything had already dried out. We had to keep Dawn away from patches of poison ivy. This particular park is filled with poison ivy. You're pretty safe if you stick to the areas that the park department mows. We stay away from the tall prairie grass anyway because Dawn would become covered with ticks. There are also plenty of snakes. 

Dawn had lots of energy today. Janet walks her on the Sunday outing because I can't keep up with Dawn when she's having a good time. Luckily Dawn and Janet wait for me at the car when our walk is finished. As always we ended our outing with ice cream cones. Dawn loves ice cream and it tends to calm her down. She's usually pretty quiet on the way back home. As soon as we return to the house, Dawn hops on the bed and takes a nap.

I like naps too, but I actually felt like doing something useful this afternoon. I got out the vacuum and cleaned the carpets in the bedroom and office. The carpets don't look that dirty to me, but they must be filthy judging from the amount of dust the Dyson picks up. Our other dogs were scared of the vacuum cleaner but Dawn could care less. She just sits on the bed and watches me while I clean the bedroom.

It was also time to mow the yard. I really need to get new batteries for the mower, but I was able to charge them just enough to mow the back yard this afternoon. I'll do the front yard next week. Should I buy a new mower or just hire a lawn service? I'm still debating these options. I'm not a big fan of mowing the lawn, but that doesn't mean much these days. I'm not a big fan of doing any type of chore. I think Dawn has the right idea. Walks and naps are all you need.

I watched the Viasat-3 launch after dinner this evening on the Space X live feed. The launch was a success but I'm not really sorry that I missed seeing it live. I couldn't have afforded to spend almost a full week in Titusville and the launch was at night anyway, so it would have been harder for me to get good pictures. There will be other launches in the future. For now, I'm happy enough following my admittedly dull routine here at home.

Bea is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4862

As soon as we finished walking Dawn this morning, I turned on the computer and watched the Starship orbital launch attempt on the Space X live feed. I wasn't terrible surprised when the launch got scrubbed at the last minute. A lot can go wrong with something this complicated. At any rate, I'm glad I didn't drive down to Boca Chica to see the launch in person. The people who did make the trip are probably wondering now whether to stay for another attempt, or cut their losses and go home. Space X has not scheduled another attempt yet, so waiting is a gamble. Chasing rockets is complicated and can often end up being much more expensive than you'd planned. I guess it's worth it though. I'm still planning on going to Florida for the upcoming Viasat-3 launch. That one got delayed again today as well.

Our nice Spring weather continues. It's always a little chilly on our sunrise walk with Dawn, but the temperature rises quickly. By the time I'm ready for my daily long walk, I can usually change into shorts and a t-shirt. It's weird to see the temperature change so dramatically in just a few hours, but luckily the high temperature for the day is still very pleasant. I could probably put my time to better use, but a long walk seems essential now. Without my daily walk, I would end up spending even more time doing unavoidable chores around the house. 

Today's chores were changing the sheets on the bed and pulling weeds in the yard. I think that bulky trash pick up is tomorrow, so I wanted to get a few more things out to the curb before the trucks arrived. I tried to clean up the front yard today. The yard still doesn't look great, but I can see a definite improvement. When I'm doing yard work I often think about getting a yard service like the other neighbors, but I never do anything. The yard is small and I do need the exercise. 

The roofers want to get started on replacing the roof. I guess we might as well get this over with, but I'm not eager to spend a lot of money on something I can't even see. Getting a new roof is the key to fixing up the house. It makes no sense to repair stained sheetrock or replace carpets and paint until the leaks are eliminated. Sometimes I think it would be easier just to move, but we already live where we want to be. This is definitely the best part of town to have a dog. At any rate, the roof replacement is on my radar now. The work will probably begin within the next several weeks.

It seems like I'm spending more and more time dealing with spam these days. I get multiple spam phone calls, spam text messages, and spam e-mail every day. I never answer the phone anymore unless I recognize the number on the caller ID. When I get spam text messages I immediately block the caller. A lot of these messages get blocked by service providers before I even see them, but quite a few seem to get through. I feel like I am under siege. Who are these people and why are they making such an effort to deceive me? If a message on my caller ID says "suspected spam," why does the phone company even bother to put it through?

Tomorrow will be another day very much like today. Will I do anything different? Probably not. I really should have made plans to go out to the observatory for Dark Sky Week, but it's too late for that now. I'll think of something. Maybe I'll wash the car.

Bella is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4758

I stayed surprisingly busy today. Janet had an early class at the gym, so we took our early walk in the dark again. Walking in the dark doesn't seem to bother Dawn at all. She uses her nose more than her eyes anyway. It was a little chilly early this morning, but it warmed up quickly. I could tell it was going to be a nice day.

I always think I'm going to do something different for breakfast, but I never do. When I have my shredded wheat and fruit I don't have to think and I don't have to cook. It's always the easy way out. After breakfast, I changed the sheets on the bed, did three loads of laundry, and paid some online bills. With bad knees and a dislocated shoulder it's harder to change the sheets than it used to be. Somehow lifting up the mattress to tuck in the fitted sheets is always a problem. I'm starting to understand why my Dad decided to just sleep on top of the bed in his latter years. It saves a lot of trouble if you don't have to make the thing every day.

I had to trick Dawn to get her off the bed so I could change the sheets. She wasn't very happy about that but we survived. Everything is clean and fresh again, but it will be covered in dog hair in a matter of days. I won't give this chore another thought until Janet reminds me that it's time to do it again.

When I finished my household chores, I went to the bank and took some stuff back to my storage warehouse. There was a long line at the drive up window today. The bank probably need to hire some more staff. There was just one guy handling both the inside and outside transactions. He seemed very busy.

It was a good day for a walk, but my heart wasn't really in it today. I felt tired and my pace was slower than usual. It is discipline, not a love of the outdoors that keeps me walking. Sometimes I see interesting things, but often the long walk is boring and just hurts my feet. There were no eagles today at the nest site.   There weren't many people on the trails either. I guess everybody is returning to work.

I don't know what I'm going to do about the house. I still can't find a carpenter or a contractor I like to undertake the needed renovations. I've got a long list of roofers, but I don't like any of them. The house isn't going to fix itself though. I've got to do something. I wonder why it's so much easier to find a good appliance repairman or plumber than a carpenter? Is carpentry becoming a lost art? 

I made no New Year's resolutions this year. My old resolutions to write 5000 consecutive blog posts and walk at least 10,000 steps every day are keeping me busy enough as it is. It's amazing what a little discipline can do. I'm basically a very lazy person.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4741

Today was busy. There was lots of walking, grocery shopping, and household chores. It was in the mid-30's when we took our early walk with Dawn. That's warm compared to what it's going to be like next week though. An arctic cold front is headed our way with predictions for single digit temperatures. I hope the power grid holds up this year. You definitely don't want a power outage when you are experiencing sub-freezing temperatures.

I got a box of large leaf bags when I was out shopping this morning. This doesn't mean that we are going to rake leaves right away, but it does mean this odious chore is officially on the radar. The stores were crowded today and so were the roads. I think it's going to be this way until Christmas. You can tell that Hanukkah and Christmas are almost here. The stores were filled with holiday food favorites. It's tempting to buy more than you need, but I've finally learned that two people can only eat so much.

Yesterday I was pretty sure I was going to the gym today, but the heavy traffic made me change my mind. When I finished my shopping all I wanted to do was go home. Actually, walking in the park is better exercise than I typically get at the gym. I walk faster for some reason and I definitely walk longer. The weather was definitely brisk this morning but I dressed warmly and I was fine. 

I saw the eagles again today but there are still no White Pelicans. The pelicans started disappearing around the same time the eagles arrived. My theory now is that the eagles drove the pelicans away. Both birds use Sunset Bay to catch fish. You wouldn't think that two eagles could scare one hundred pelicans, but the eagles are fairly ruthless. Most of the local waterfowl seem nervous around them. Truthfully, I know nothing about birds, but this does seem like a plausible theory to me. The White Pelicans have always been here in December before.

I vacuumed, did laundry, and finished a few other small chores this afternoon. Every dog we have had before Dawn was scared of the vacuum cleaner. Dawn could care less. She just sits on the bed and looks at me when I'm vacuuming in the bedroom. Today she even fell asleep. Apparently the noise doesn't bother her at all. Dawn is definitely a weird dog. She ignores things that frighten most dogs and is frightened of things that a normal dog would ignore.

Since it is going to be at or near freezing tomorrow morning I started my car in the driveway and ran it until the engine was warm. I did this last year during freezing weather and it seemed to work. I've had car batteries fail during cold weather before and I don't want to deal with that again. Janet brought home a down comforter for the bed from her storage warehouse. We don't want to deal with a cold weather power outage either. Every time winter weather is headed our way I'm envious of my Florida friends. It was seventy degrees in Titusville this afternoon. There was a rocket launch this evening too.

I'll probably go mall walking tomorrow morning but it all depends on the weather. I'm not even sure my car will start at this point. At least there is no rain or snow in the forecast. One day at a time I guess. Eventually it will be Spring again.

Duke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4672

I went mall walking again today even though the weather was beautiful. I've done a lot of walking in the park this week and I guess I just needed a change of pace. It's interesting that some stores never change their window displays, while others always change them. I wonder if it makes any difference? Several stores have closed since I last visited and one new one has opened. 

I don't understand current styles at all. Most of the clothing on display looks ugly. Mall walking is surprisingly popular. On most Sundays there seem to be more people walking at the mall than I see walking in the park. Northpark is very pleasant when the stores are closed. I avoid the place when the stores are open though. It is far too crowded for my taste.

We got started on our sunrise walk so late this morning that we didn't need our flashlights and lighted dog collars. The park is usually busier on weekends, but it was fairly quiet today. Most of the green web worms are gone now. Now that I know what to look for, it's amazing how many trees they destroyed. The city recently mowed the meadow behind our house, so it was easier to get down to the lake this week. Although our walks are always the same, I almost always see something new. Today I noticed that a for lease sign on one of the houses on our street was gone. The sign had been there quite a while and I wondered if the place was finally rented or the owners just gave up and ended their listing? 

After I returned from the mall, we took Dawn on her Sunday outing. The weather was cool enough that we were able to give Dawn another one mile walk before we went for ice cream. There is lots of poison ivy in Dawn's Sunday park, so we have to watch where we walk. There is a lot of construction going on as well. I have no idea what the city is building but it certainly looks expensive. Janet uses these walks to work on Dawn's training. I'm just trying to get a few more steps.

It still bothers me that our ice cream cones have gotten smaller while the price has become more expensive. There is no ice cream inside the cone at all. Just a scoop on top. You'd think they could manage to fill the cone up. Oh, well. We still like to support local businesses. Expensive ice cream is still better than no ice cream at all.

Although I was busy this morning, I did virtually nothing this afternoon. There are still lots of things that need to be done around the house, but they didn't need to be done today. I haven't been up on the roof in a long time. It is probably filled with pecans that have fallen from the neighbor's tree. I should clean things up before it rains again, but I've become wary about climbing on the roof. This isn't a good activity for someone who is starting to have balance issues.

I still need to get my car serviced. I'll probably wait until I see whether I'm been credentialed for the Falcon Heavy launch. The dryer is definitely going to need to be repaired sometime soon as well. I hate having to budget expenses. I never used to do this when I was working. Oh, well. Welcome to retirement. 

Maverick is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4668

I surprised myself with how much I got done today. I took care of a bunch of small, insignificant chores that I'd been ignoring for far too long. I cleared away the spiderwebs that have been collecting under the eaves. I cleaned the living room windows. I watered the plants inside the atrium which is actually harder than it sounds. I cleaned the toilet. I did a load of laundry. And finally I vacuumed all the carpeted rooms in the house. The house still looks about the same, but all these things really did need to be done.

There was still plenty of time for walking. We got a later start on our sunrise walk today so it wasn't quite as dark outside. It wasn't quite as cold either, although I still needed a light jacket. After breakfast I took my long walk and actually made pretty good time. I've done this walk so many times now that I can pretty accurately guess what my time will be at each mile marker. I'm only off by four or five seconds these days. I can usually tell how fast I'm going by the sound of my footsteps. It's amazing that my brain can do all these little calculations while I'm just daydreaming. Truthfully, the walk isn't that interesting anymore, but I burn a lot more calories walking outdoors than I do at the gym.

I was out walking in the park when the Crew 5 mission launched and I didn't really care. I watched a replay of the launch on my computer later in the day. I have attended a number of manned launched down at Kennedy Space Center and they are all more or less the same. A few hours before the launch the astronauts get in Teslas and drive out to the launch pad. Sometimes I've been invited to watch the astronauts leave the iconic NASA crew quarters and say goodbye to their families but other times I've been excluded from this small group. Everyone sets up their cameras near the countdown clock and waits for the launch and then ten minutes later it is all over. Actually you get a lot better view of things watching the Space X live stream, but it is still nice to be there in person.

Dawn still doesn't like to nap with me. Whenever I come in the bedroom during the day, Dawn leaves the room and goes out to her dog bed in the kitchen. I'm sure Dawn has her reasons, but this just seems rude to me. If Janet is home Dawn is much nicer to me, but she is uncomfortable being in the house alone with me. Oh, well. It is what it is. Strangely, when I vacuumed the bedroom this afternoon, Dawn stayed on the bed. She didn't mind the vacuum at all. She just doesn't like sharing the bed with me during the day. Nighttime is fine. I often wake up with Dawn right next to me. All this seems very strange, but no stranger than most aspects of modern life. It's a weird world we live in these days.

We've got to get up extra early tomorrow morning. I need to drive Janet down to Baylor for some medical tests. There should still be time to give Dawn her sunrise walk, but it depends on how organized we are. It doesn't matter if it's dark outside. We are prepared with plenty of lights now. Dawn even has a spiffy new green lighted collar now. 

Lightning is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4653

I mowed the front lawn this morning. As expected, the mower's battery died right as I was finishing up, but I did get the job done. I don't seem to be able to manage more than one chore a day lately, but ever so slowly I am getting things done. The yard looks nice now. At this time of year I start to hope that I won't have to mow for another season. It's probably just wishful thinking though. It got up to 90 degrees this afternoon. The grass will probably keep growing for a while.

There were still a few stars in the sky when we took our sunrise walk with Dawn this morning. We carry a flashlight with us now. I continue to be surprised at how quickly the days are getting shorter. It was a pleasant morning but it felt like it was going to get hot later on. On our sunrise walks it feels like Fall. Later in the day it still feels like summer.

I mowed the grass right after breakfast while it was still relatively cool. I wonder how long I'm going to keep doing this? I've found someone who will do the mowing for me but haven't used him yet. I get tired, but it's still easier to do this chore myself. Truthfully, it's easier to do most chores myself. I hate dealing with suppliers.

I went back to the gym because the day was getting warm. I was surprisingly good on the basketball court this morning. I don't think I've ever completed this many free throws in a row before.  Most of the other people using the court shoot from all over. I just shoot from the free throw line over and over again. If I ever get really good at completing free throws I may try more difficult shots. I'll never join in a pick up game with other gym members though. Shooting free throws is satisfying, but I don't even like basketball that much.

I had a productive morning, but I was basically done by noon. Sometimes I think I don't get enough sleep at night, but I probably get too much sleep if you count all the naps I take. I'd probably take more naps if Dawn wasn't so grumpy about sharing the bed with me. When I lie down on the bed during the day, Dawn gets up and leaves the room. Usually she waits just outside the bedroom door and as soon as I leave the room she hops up on the bed again. She doesn't do this with Janet. Only with me.

There is going to be a Delta IV Heavy launch out at Vandenberg Air Force Base this weekend. After this launch there are only two more of these huge rockets left before they are retired. Hopefully, I'll be able to see one of these remaining launches. I've applied to cover a Delta IV Heavy launch before but it didn't work out for some reason. There's always something to look forward to in the world of spaceflight. Maybe I'll even get to see a Starship launch someday. 

While I'm waiting for something exciting to happen, I'll continue to do small chores around the house. I need to do some maintenance work on the roof but I don't like to climb up there anymore. I'm getting too old for a lot of this stuff I used to do around the house. Even the easy stuff is getting hard. I tried to fix the troublesome Porcher toilet again this afternoon, but the parts I bought last week didn't work. Who knows what's on the agenda for tomorrow. I suspect the day will be very similar to today. 

Rosie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4639

The skies were clear when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk this morning and it rained during dinner. Just another normal Texas day. I'm trying to be a bit more industrious. Today I took care of a chore I've been putting off for years. I cleaned out the air return plenum for the HVAC system. It's easy to forget that this even exists, but it gradually fills with dust over time. I usually start to realize that it's time to clean this thing when I start to hear a whistling sound coming from the air intake grill in the wall. For some reason it's a lot of trouble removing this grill, which is another reason I can ignore this chore for years.

When I removed the large, heavy grill this morning I was astounded at how much dust was inside the plenum. There was so much dust caked on the back side of the grill that I wondered how air was even being circulated. I took the grill outside and cleaned it with a power washer and then vacuumed the inside of the plenum. The Dyson wasn't really up to the job. It jammed with dust three times. Eventually I got everything clean and the AC runs much quieter now. I need to remember not to wait so long to do this next time.

It was cool outside when we took our sunrise walk, but by the time I'd finished my chores, it was already hot and humid. I didn't want to deal with the humidity, so I went back to the gym. I've gotten very predictable at the gym. I shoot twenty-five free throws on the basketball court, walk two miles on the indoor track, and spend a little time working with free weights. That's it. The best part of going to the gym for me is that it's nice and cold inside. These guys much have an enormous electric bill to keep this large space so cold.

I had to activate a bunch of prescriptions I had on file at the pharmacy today. My doctor renews all my prescriptions when I have my annual exam, but this year I still had plenty of pills, so I told the pharmacy to just hold on to the renewals until I needed them. I noticed last night that I was almost out of everything, so I guess I need them now. I'll pick all these up tomorrow and it will be one more bill that is larger than I'd like.

The Artemis launch seems largely forgotten already. The story is no longer on the news and most of the other journalists have already submitted and published their articles about the event. My story wasn't scheduled to run in SpaceFlight Magazine until November, so I suspect that there will be a change in plan. I have a feeling that I'll need to re-write the entire article when the rocket eventually launches. I still can't decide whether to return to Florida for the next launch attempt. It will probably depend on how many bills there are to pay when NASA announces a new schedule.

I pruned a few dead branches from shrubs in the back yard this afternoon, but cleaning the air return plenum used up most of my energy. Since I didn't feel like fiddling with the star tracker again, I just took a nap. I guess I need to mow the front yard tomorrow so I can forget about mowing again for a while. It's almost Fall so I don't think I'll replace the mower batteries until next Spring. I've grown tired of continually replacing batteries. I did manage to get my power drill batteries to accept a charge though That's one battery I can keep a little longer. I certainly needed that drill today. I couldn't have removed the grill to the air return plenum  without it.

I don't have any plans for tomorrow. I didn't have any plans for today either and still managed to stay busy. I imagine that tomorrow will be the same.

April is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day