Day 3054

When I got up last night to take Dash out to pee, I noticed the moon centered between Mars and Saturn in the Eastern sky. The celestial display reminded me that the InSight Mars mission was launching from Vandenberg Air Force Base in less than an hour. I decided to stay up and watch the launch on NASA TV. Actually, I couldn't get back to sleep anyway. Just as I predicted, last night's pizza gave me a bad case of heartburn.

Seeing the rocket shrouded in fog just before liftoff reminded me of my own visit to Vandenberg Air Force Base several years ago. I could have applied to view this launch as well, but it wasn't in the cards. Dash is too fragile to take to a boarding kennel these days and I couldn't afford the trip anyway. Maybe someday. Being a space launch groupie seems to make as much sense in retirement as anything else I could think of.

When I looked at Mars this morning, it seemed amazing that someone could aim something so precisely at this tiny speck in the sky. I've always wanted to be involved in the space industry, but I was never good at math. It doesn't matter if you're Neil Armstrong or Steven Hawking, it's all about the math. I wish I understood orbital mechanics. I don't even understand why the moon seems to wander all over the sky.

Nice weather always puts me in a good mood. Even though I didn't get much sleep last night, I felt fine. I  definitely needed to stay in good spirits, because today was the day to go to the storage warehouse and get my collection organized. I sorted through box after box and was amazed at how much I had. I'd totally forgotten buying some of this stuff. I wish I had the foresight to collect something that the younger generation liked. Nobody collects model trains anymore. My friend says most of his customers are old men. I'm glad he knows where they are. I certainly couldn't find them.

My Dad was an accomplished wood carver and kept buying carving tools long after his Parkinson's Disease destroyed his dexterity. I think I finally realized the futility of collecting when I was dealing with his estate. There were boxes and boxes full of brand new tools that never got used. Hopefully, disposing of this initial collection of model trains will make it easier to do further downsizing in the future.

Dash had a lot of energy today. Maybe the Movoflex supplements we're giving him are working. At one point on his morning walk, he actually started to run. Running isn't a good idea for Dash. He's not very coordinated anymore and his back legs don't work as good as his front legs. When he feels like running, I run along beside him, holding on to the handle of his Ruffwear harness. I want him to enjoy himself, but I definitely don't want him to fall. Dash never runs far, but I'm glad he hasn't given up.

I haven't given up either. To the casual observer, it might appear like I've lost interest in everything. Not really. I've still got my curiosity.

Dolly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2250

While I was eating breakfast this morning, I watched a dad teaching his kid math by counting things in the restaurant and pointing out the corresponding numbers on the menu board. The kid was really little but he seemed quite interested. Instead of looking at Facebook like all the other people, the man was using some sort of drawing app on his phone to show the kid how to make the shapes for each number. As I was leaving, I saw him demonstrating how to add two numbers together. I think this kid will do well.

I wish I could teach the dogs a little math. Maybe if they could count, they wouldn't constantly return to their bowls looking for dinner ten minutes after I just finished feeding them. Maybe if they could put two and two together, they would realize that barking while I am trying to write is not the best way to get additional treats. Sometimes I wonder how I get anything done at all with these two underfoot.

I didn't feel like cooking today so I picked up some chicken salad, potato salad, walnut grape and blue cheese salad, and Caesar salad for dinner. I wouldn't recommend an all salad meal every day, but sometimes it is exactly what is needed. I added a little sushi for variety, but didn't go near anything that required me to turn on the stove.

More of Dot's lab results came back today. The results weren't perfect, but they were a lot better than I expected. We'll have to monitor her every week for a while to make sure the new blood pressure medication is working and take her back in a month for new blood work. We still haven't decided whether to resume Dot's chemotherapy again. I guess it depends on how fast the tumor is growing. She had a bad reaction to chemotherapy the first time we tried, but maybe a much smaller dose would be OK. The good news is that she can continue eating her current food. The oncologist thought that Dot's current diet was just fine.

I made sure my cameras were functioning properly today and charged all the batteries. I'm not really looking forward to working on Saturday, but sometimes weekend jobs are unavoidable. Hopefully, I can get everything finished in time to give the dogs their evening walk. Janet has an office function in the evening, but the photoshoot couldn't possible take that long. If it were just me, I'd be done in an hour, but since there are lots of people involved, it will probably take all afternoon. Lets hope that everything goes smoothly.

Dot almost caught me by surprise several times today. I managed to get her outside both times before she pooped, but it was a close call. I've learned that you've got to watch Dot's tail. When the tail starts to twitch, you've got to get her outside in a hurry. It's a weird life when your main activities are cleaning up dog poop and watching the humidity levels. Janet went back to work because she said the isolation she felt just hanging around the house was driving her crazy. By those standards, I probably went crazy ten years ago.

Lucy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day