Day 4178

Janet took Dawn to her first training class this evening. I didn't go, because there isn't much point in going to a dog training class without a dog. Hopefully, Dawn will do well and enjoy the class. Some of our dogs loved the training classes and others didn't. Dash did very well at first and then grew bored with the class and became a poor student. Some of the exercises are done off leash and I was always nervous that Dash would run away. He was unpredictible that way. Dawn likes being around other dogs, so hopefully she will have a lot of fun.

Today might have been eventful for Dawn, but it was uneventful for me. Not a lot happened. It didn't rain today, but I didn't take advantage of the dry weather to do anything special. I fixed my smoothie while I watched the morning news. I checked my e-mail, hoping that there might be a message from NASA or the magazine I write for in London. Janet and I walked Dawn after she returned from the gym. And then I took my longer walk later in the day. I do these things every day. I really need to add a little variety to my routine.

One thing I didn't do today was practice using PixInsight or any of the other astrophotography processing software I'm trying to learn. I don't want to get burned out before I even get started on this somewhat difficult hobby. When I was working, I was reluctant to call things like writing, photography, and graphic design hobbies because I made money doing these things. Astronomy is clearly a hobby. I will never be an astronomer. I don't even understand what a lot of them do.

I think the cortisone shot the vet gave Dawn yesterday is working. She didn't lick or bite at her paws nearly as much today. I wish the cortisone shot would solve the problem, but it will only point us in the right direction. If allergies are the problem, we need to find out what Dawn is allergic to. We had Spot, our first Dalmatian, tested for allergies and it was a long, complicated process. It turned out he was allergic to almost everything.

I made good time on my long walk today. I can't figure out why I feel so different from one day to the next. Yesterday I could barely make it home. Today I actually had a spring in my step. Inconsistency bothers me. I would like everything to be consistent and predictable even though it never is. In an inconsistent world, I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop. I have a feeling that Dawn feels the same way. We should be best buddies. We share many of the same fears and are alike in many ways.

The little telescope I ordered has shipped and is on its way. When it arrives I will probably spend the day testing and learning how to use it. Then it will go back in a box until my next trip out to McDonald Observatory. I still haven't really mastered the star tracker I got for my last trip to the observatory. That's sitting in a box too. One problem is that you have to align the tracker with Polaris before it will track anything and you can't see the North Star from our house because there are too many trees in the way. This is just an excuse, but it's good enough for me. I'm definitely not dragging my equipment out into the park at night. 

This week has gone quickly. Pretty soon it will be my birthday again. Last year on my birthday we were right in the middle of a global pandemic. I guess we still are.

Abby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3522

I see a lot of families at the new neighborhood restaurant. I'm amazed that even little babies seem to know how to use iPhones and tablets. It appears that they become familiar with these devices even before they can talk. When a kid starts to act up in public, Mom just pulls a phone out of her purse and the kid become mesmerized. It's going to be a different world when these children grow up. I forget the first thing I learned when I was small, but it certainly wasn't to swipe right.

I made a point to get an early start this morning because I wanted to mow the grass before the heat became unbearable. I was back from the restaurant before 9 AM, but there was no avoiding the heat today. This was going to be another triple digit day. By the time I finished the front yard, I was drenched in sweat. I had thought that the dead patch caused by the June brush pile was filling in nicely, but on closer examination, the new green areas were just weeds. Oh, well. The weeds are nicely trimmed now.

I'm impressed at how much more water the new dehumidifier is collecting. The bucket was almost full when I woke up this morning. I have to empty the bucket several time a day now. It makes me wonder what it is that makes performance gradually deteriorate on these things. Probably the condenser coils that aren't readily accessible get really dirty. It could be something else though. I doubt that it's worth the trouble to find out. You can buy a new dehumidifier for less than it would cost to repair one.

I rested for a while and changed my clothes after I finished mowing the grass and then I got started on my first walk of the day. The long walks are starting to become boring, but I still think the effort is worth it. The changes to my body have been gradual, but I can tell that I am in better shape than when I started these forced marches. I'm surprised that so many people run because walking provides most of the same benefits with a lot less wear and tear on the knees.

I'm still not sleeping as well as I was last month. There must be a reason. Is the temperature too warm? Has our mattress become too soft? Maybe I need the glow from the security light coming through the bedroom window? I wonder a lot about any inconsistency in life. Why is the stock market so volatile? Why aren't cars more reliable? Why does the Internet go down for no reason at all?

Actually the Internet was down when I woke up to drink some water last night. I only noticed because I saw a message on the thermostat on my way to the refrigerator. I reset the router and brought everything back online before I returned to bed. This is probably why I had trouble getting back to sleep. I knew that if I ignored the problem until morning I would just lie in bed thinking about it. It's better for me to take care of these things immediately.

Maybe I'll sleep well tonight. I've had lots of activity today. I can't say that I accomplished much, but I'm certainly tired.

Pogo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3305

Today was full of inconsistencies. When I returned from taking Dash on his morning walk, his breakfast wasn't in his bowl like it usually is. Hmm. Did he eat before I got up this morning? Was his regular bowl of chicken still in the refrigerator? I couldn't find it anywhere. I couldn't ask Dash and Janet was already gone. I didn't want to feed Dash twice, but he seemed hungry so I fed him some dry kibble that he usually likes. When Janet got home, I asked her about the breakfast. "Did you look in the microwave," she asked? Nope. Why would I look there? No harm was done. Dash ate his chicken for lunch. When I went to the hotel for breakfast, the regular chef wasn't there. The customers didn't seem normal either. Two ladies with diamond encrusted wristwatches at the next table were comparing their friends divorce settlements. Another couple nearby returned their meals without eating them. I knew what they were eating and there was nothing wrong with the food. I've ordered the same thing many times. Another customer wanted to specify exactly the type of fruit she was going to get in her fruit bowl. Evidently pineapples and bananas were unacceptable. Everyone seemed picky and extremely demanding today. The substitute chef undercooked my French Toast a bit but I would never return a meal. Mom taught me to eat what was put in front of me. That being said, I hope the regular chef returns. I like consistency.

There has been a light rain for most of the day, but so far there is no water in the house. This is a good sign, but we're not out of the woods yet. Sometimes it takes hours for the water to penetrate the roof and find its way inside. I've got buckets ready, but hopefully I won't need them tonight. Even if the roof survives this rain, it's going to be hard to ever trust it again. This thing is just a disaster waiting to happen.

The rain was intermittent today, so Dash got both his walks. I'm surprised that he still enjoys walking as much as he does. I'm providing a lot of support lately with a leash at both ends of his special harness. My function is similar to a spotter for a weightlifter. When I sense that Dash is starting to stumble, I keep him upright. Without this assistance, I doubt that he could walk very far.

I can't decide whether to leave the pumps on tonight. They do a good job of keeping the water level from getting too high on the roof, but if the rain stops and they run dry for very long, the motor burns out. I used to have a pump with a built-in sensor that would automatically turn the pump on and off when the water reached a specified level. I used this pump on another flat roofed home I owned for many years until it eventually wore out. Nobody makes this type of pump anymore. I've looked and looked. Not surprisingly, the old metal pump was made in the USA. The new ABS plastic pumps are all made in China.

I still can't bring myself to wear my new work boots. This is getting ridiculous. I wore them around the house for a while today to make sure I'd gotten the right size. They aren't house slippers though. These are boots meant for rainy days like today.

Like always, I'm hoping for a good nights sleep. I certainly didn't get one last night. I imagine that I'll wake up several times tonight, listening carefully for the sound of dripping water.

Pepper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day