Day 4230

It was apparent when we took our sunrise walk this morning that it was going to be a hot day. We got a late start, but it still felt early to me. I didn't sleep well last night. A combination of heartburn and an upset stomach showed me that I've really got to start watching what I eat. I felt better after the walk, but still felt like goig back to bed.

Since today was definitely too hot for a walk in the park, I thought I'd try something new. I went to the gym before I did my Saturday grocery shopping. The gym closes early on Saturday, but this worked out pretty well. I walked three miles at the gym and did a little work with free weights before going to two grocery stores that were on my way home anyway. I got all my shopping done earlier than I usually do and  I didn't have to think about walking in the hot sun. Mission accomplished.

We got a small cone of shame for Dawn, but she really doesn't like it. When I ran my errands this morning I put a waterproof covering on the bed so we wouldn't have another laundry disaster if Dawn started licking again. She does most of her licking while we're gone. It's a shame that we can't leave the paper bootie bandages on her paws while we are away. I'm afraid that she might eat the booties trying to get them off and we would find ourselves at the emergency vet with a blockage. The socks work great while we are at home, but we have to keep an eye on Dawn. The booties do prevent her from licking her paws, but she knows how to get them off now. Keeping her from licking is an uphill battle.

This afternoon was uneventful. There were a number of things I should have done, but I couldn't seem to get motivated. Ants are getting in the house again, but I can't figure out where they are coming from. This would be a good time to patch the roof since there is no rain in the forecast, but it is way too hot. I tried to take a nap with Dawn, but she didn't want to share the bed and went off to her dog bed in the kitchen. It's too bad I don't enjoy watching television. It was kind of a television watching afternoon.

I'm really disappointed that Florida has become a virus hotspot again. The Boeing Starliner launch is next week and NASA recently sent out invitations to apply for credentials to view an upcoming ISS resupply mission in late August. Things are happening, but I'm just not involved. I feel like I'm losing touch with the space community, but I still don't feel any burning desire to return to Kennedy Space Center right now. I don't think I could turn any of this summer's launches into an interesting story for Spaceflight magazine anyway, and I don't want to press my luck by traveling into a virus hotspot.

I've got to find something interesting to do in Dallas, or I'm just going to be mowing the grass and fretting about Dawn's paws. I could make a long list of things I don't want to do, but the list of things that interest me is getting pretty small. I really wonder if I'm going to make it until Day 5000. I may just wake up one morning and realize that this quest is silly and pointless.

When I wake up tomorrow I'll be thinking about Dawn's Sunday outing. Janet and I both enjoy this little trip because it makes Dawn happy. If a walk in a different park and an ice cream cone can make Dawn happy, I guess it's good enough for me as well

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3934

Our long family walks may be over. Dawn still enjoys her morning walks. She just doesn't feel like going very far. This morning we turned around at about the same point we did yesterday. I'm glad Dawn knows how to tell us when she has reached her limit. At least she's able to get some exercise this way. Other than not having quite as much energy, she seems to be doing fine. There is no fever and as far as we can tell, no signs of discomfort. Dawn's appetite is better than ever, but a lot of that is because of the Prednisone. I'll be glad when she has finished her meds and we can see if we've made any real progress.

The Delta IV Heavy isn't making any progress at all. I stayed up late and watched the launch on my computer last night. It didn't happen. For the second time in less than a month the launch was scrubbed in the final seconds of the count. Considering that this rocket was originally supposed to launch back in June, it has had an extraordinary streak of bad luck. Articles are starting to be written now about how the launch pad is so old that it is falling into disrepair. I doubt that ULA will be spending a lot of money to upgrade things though since there are only two launches left at Cape Canaveral before the rocket is officially retired. All this kind of makes you realize how far ahead of everyone else Space X is now.

The weather was perfect for making roof repairs or mowing the grass, but I couldn't get motivated to do anything. This year has just sucked the energy out of me. Some days I don't even feel like taking a shower.   I still take long walks where I often daydream about better times. I count the ducks and pelicans and still try to identify mystery trees. I got over 20,000 steps today. Not bad for a weekday without a trip to the gym.

When I got back from my long walk, Janet thought Dawn might like a short afternoon walk, so I just continued walking. We took Dawn down to the shoreline where there were lots of things to smell. We didn't go far, but Dawn really seemed to enjoy herself. That's our goal now. We just want to make Dawn's days as enjoyable as we can, since we don't really know how long she has left.

Janet said her doctor is taking part in a vaccine clinical trial. I don't think I'd have the nerve to do this. I assume that at some point the participants will be told whether that got the vaccine or a placebo. What if you got the vaccine but it wasn't very good? Could you still take another type of vaccine later? It still seems so weird to me that are moving full speed ahead without a lot of knowledge. Why is it considered unsafe to eat in a restaurant when you can fly on a crowded plane? Isn't anybody even curious whey so few people are getting the virus in Africa? Why are infections rising again in Europe? Aren't these the guys who were supposed to be doing everything right? Statistics are constantly being revised and a lot of them were never correct in the first place. It's all very frustrating.

All I really want is the ability to travel freely again without worrying about catching a deadly disease from a stranger or finding myself in the middle of a riot in a strange city on the way back to my hotel. It's an unsettling dystopian world we live in now. Maybe all those zombie movies were just getting us ready for what's to come.

Tori is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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