Day 4681

Brr. Winter arrived a little early this year. The furnace was on when we woke up this morning and it was time for a change in walking attire. I wore long pants on our sunrise walk and added a sweater under my jacket. It wasn't that cold, but it's been a while since we've seen temperatures in the 50's. Dawn loved the cooler weather. She was full of energy this morning and we completed our one mile loop three minutes faster than usual.

It was another good day for a long walk in the park. There was no sense in going to the gym on a day like this. I ate my breakfast and waited a while for the sun to get higher before leaving the house. It never did warm up very much, but the sky was clear and the cold front seems to have cleared away my allergy problems for a while. It felt good not to have a runny nose today. I didn't make great time, but I did OK. I saw quite a few photographers with long telephoto lenses looking for the eagles, but the birds appeared to be in hiding. Watching this quest to see the eagles made me feel like I was walking back in time. It was exactly like this last October.

I've been thinking about deleting several of my social media accounts because I never use them anymore. I keep thinking that some of these accounts might be the source of all the spam I'm getting. I haven't used LinkedIn in years. I couldn't even remember my password. When I finally logged in with a new password, I was surprised to discover that only 11 people have visited in the past two years. There was a time when I thought that LinkedIn might bring me business but it never did. It hardly seemed worth the trouble to delete this abandoned account, so I just turned off everything I could on the settings page and left. I also thought about deleting my Instagram account but then I remembered that NASA likes people to use Instagram when they visit the space center. There was also a time when I regularly posted on Instagram, but it is no longer a showcase for photographers and I've lost interest. Once again it didn't feel like it was worth the trouble to actually delete the account. Who knows. I might start using this again someday.

I've become ambivalent about social media in general. I only continue blogging because I'm determined to reach my 5000 day goal. Blogging definitely isn't like is used to be. I don't think anyone reads the blog anymore. A few friends still read the JPEG images of the blog I post post every day on Facebook, but I don't know if anybody still reads the real blog. The last time I looked at the stats, it showed that I only had two readers per day. That can't be right. This used to be a really popular blog back in the day.

I'll probably wind up right back where I started, writing my daily journal with a ball point pen in a little leather book. Writing is still a useful skill. I have a terrible memory and if I want to know what I was doing back in 1985, it's all there somewhere. I saved all the journals, just like I've saved all the negatives from decades of photography before the digital world was invented. I used to spend hours and hours in the darkroom. I don't think I've developed a roll of film or printed anything in twenty-five years but I used to be pretty good at it.

I don't know why I'm feeling nostalgic today. I guess the world in the rear view mirror seems more appealing than the world looking forward. I haven't turned into a prepper yet, but the future does look bleak. I think I'd be happier if I could bring myself to turn off the computer for good and quit watching cable news. I'm pretty good at amusing myself doing simple things and definitely don't need a daily diet of bad news. 

Little Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3899

It took me a long time to figure out why today was a special day. One year ago today Janet and I were out at McDonald Observatory. That was kind of special. Nope. That wasn't it. I kept wondering and finally realized that it was Dot's birthday. We used to have big birthday celebrations for Dot and Dash. It all seems so long ago now. I hate it when memories start to fade. It's inevitable though. I guess that's why it's important to replace old traditions with new ones. We'll have to make sure that Dawn has a special birthday celebration this December.

My Apple Watch notified me that I've met my daily move goal for 365 consecutive days. I wondered why I'd missed a day a year ago and then I remembered that we'd spent August 26 last year in the car driving to Fort Davis. I didn't make the same mistake when I returned to the observatory the next March. I took a long walk as soon as I arrived. I've been routinely closing all three activity circles on the watch for months now. I wonder how long this will continue. At some point it seems like I might find something else to do.

The crystal popped off Janet's Apple Watch today. How was that possible? I wonder if this will happen to my watch as well. I did a little research on Google and discovered that this was fairly common. When the battery goes bad, it can swell and push the crystal out. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. I've had swollen lithium batteries make a mess of laptops, a baby monitor, and a little WiFi hotspot. Why can't everyone make their batteries like Tesla? Tesla guarantees the batteries in their cars for ten years. You're lucky to get two years out of anything else.

We got an early start on our walk this morning. I think Dawn might be a little scared of the dark. She seems more comfortable when the sky lightens up a bit. I still enjoy these early walks, but it isn't always easy to get up in the morning. I still need to get more sleep. We were back at the house by the time the sun rose this morning. You'd think this would give me a lot more time to do other things. Usually it doesn't work out that way. I often feel like the day is finished by 9 AM.

I tried to do a few useful things today. I managed to open the sliding glass door enough to squeeze inside and clean the atrium. I've given up on getting this door repaired. Nobody seems to have the skills anymore. I swept some leaves off the porch, cleaned the car, and then called it a day. I should do more, but it's almost impossible to get motivated.

I'm trying to stay motivated about writing. That's getting harder too. I wrote some letters today trying to set up a visit to the Space X Boca Chica facility. I wrote a launch photographer asking for advice on how to reestablish contact with the Air Force. All this is kind of like putting a note in a bottle and throwing it out in the ocean. You've got to do something though.

We'll see what tomorrow brings. It doesn't look like we'll get any rain after all. I'm glad it is gradually getting a little cooler. Maybe we'll survive this summer after all.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3790 - Mother's Day

My Mom's been gone for so long that I can't even remember what we used to do on Mother's Day. I'd like to think we did something special, but maybe we didn't. I still have a few childhood Christmas memories along with a fuzzy recollection of Sunrise Services at Easter, but I'm drawing a blank on Mother's Day. No memories of Father's Day either.

I thought the park would be really crowded since it was a holiday, but there were fewer people than I thought. It was a nice cool day and we had another pleasant walk with Dawn before breakfast. Dawn seems to like this new routine. Of course she'd already eaten her own breakfast before we left the house. People can postpone their breakfast. Dogs want to eat as soon as they wake up.

The new battery for my laptop arrived this morning. I was surprised that FedEx delivers on Sunday now. I wasn't expecting the battery until tomorrow. I was glad to see the package at the door. It gave me something to do today. There are always surprises with computer upgrades. I ordered the correct battery but for some reason it wouldn't fix in the enclosure. It seemed to be exactly the same size as the dead battery I was replacing, but there must have been a tiny difference. I thought about sending the battery back, but decided to file off one of the edges instead. It looked like if I rounded one of the corners just a bit, the battery should fit. I found a special file in my old watch repair toolkit and carefully shaved away some of the plastic case. After I rounded one of the corners, the battery fit perfectly. I still can't figure out why the battery didn't fit right out of the box. It looks identical to the OEM battery.

After I reattached all the loose cables and put the computer back together, I nervously pressed the power button. The computer started and booted up normally. I wasn't done though. I had to calibrate the power management system. This involved charging the battery and then discharging it completely, waiting five hours, and then recharging the battery again. I'm still not done with that process.

One of the downsides to this whole upgrade process is that my Microsoft Office 2011 no longer works. It is no longer supported by Microsoft either. Buried in the license agreement is a short paragraph that says you can't move the software to a different machine without voiding your license. Why? This makes no sense, since computers crash all the time. I'm sure I'm not the first person who installed a new hard drive in their computer. I guess a new hard drive counts as a new computer to Microsoft. They were no help at all when I called them this afternoon. They just want me to subscribe to Office 365.

I think we're going to start visiting the rescue dogs again. We haven't been to the kennel since the pandemic started. There is a new dog that needs to be photographed for the website and we miss seeing the Dalmatians. The place should be safe enough. It's mostly just dogs.

I have my annual physical exam later this week. Looks like my doctor is seeing regular patients again, since I got a reminder about the appointment today. I've got all sorts of questions for the doc. What do you think about hydroxychloroquine? How about vitamin D? What is an ideal pulse oximeter reading? He'll probably just ask me about my trip to the Davis Mountains. We both love West Texas.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3589

I got up early this morning to watch the Orionid meteor shower. I sat in a lawn chair in the back yard for about thirty minutes looking in the direction of the constellation Orion. I didn't see any meteors. The sky was clear, but the moon was bright and there was the usually Dallas light pollution. The meteors were probably there, but the sky just wasn't dark enough to see them.

I almost didn't go outside at all because I knew this would happen. Then I thought if I'm too lazy to even attempt to see one of the best meteor showers of the year, why am I even thinking of going back to the Davis Mountains? At some point, I went back into the house to get my binoculars so I could see a few more stars. Even though the night sky was nothing like the vivid tapestry I saw in Fort Davis, I still enjoyed sitting in my lawn chair looking up at the Orion Nebula and the waning moon. I kept imagining how much better the experience would be without a washed out city sky and the ever present Dallas traffic noise. The majestic solitude of the Davis Mountain skies was calling to me.

Janet returned from her trip today. She was pleased that the yard looked better but said the house still smelled musty. As she described her visit to Mount Hood and the Oregon Coast it brought back distant memories of a time when I lived out there. I wouldn't want to live in Seattle or Portland anymore, but it's hard to beat the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Temperatures were in the fifties when I woke up this morning. They weren't a lot warmer when I finished breakfast and went on my walk. This is the kind of weather I like. I put on a light jacket and a hat and started walking a bit more briskly than usual. I guess Fall is my favorite season. It just doesn't last long enough here in Texas.

By early afternoon it has warmed up enough that I decided that it was now or never with the roof. I knew I had at least 48 hours before the next cold front arrived and that was enough time for the silicon coating to dry. A few of the damaged areas were still a little damp, but if I keep waiting for everything to dry completely, it's just going to rain again and the roof will continue to get worse.

Applying the coating was just as messy as I anticipated. I transferred a gallon of the silicon material from the large container to a paint can and lifted it to the roof using a rope. I apply the coating using a cheap paint roller that I just throw away after use. I wear old clothes I can throw away too. I try my best to be careful and not make a mess, but I always manage to spill some of the sticky liquid. I didn't get any silicon on my clothes today, but I did manage to step in a patch I'd just finished coating. Oops. It was a good thing I was wearing some old rubber boots that I've saved just for going up on the roof.

Hopefully, I've sealed any potential areas where water might leak into the house. You never know though. Water is relentless. I'll find out how successful I was the next time it rains.

The cancer center where we used to take Dot and Dash got damaged by the tornado. The clinic is closed for repairs now. I kept thinking how horrible it would be if your dog is right in the middle of chemo treatment now. Where are you going to go? I hope I don't have car problems any time soon. I think the Land Rover dealership was damaged as well. Weather is humbling. I like to think I can plan for everything, but you can't plan for weather.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3570

We went to the State Fair today. I haven't been to the fair in years, but it hasn't changed much. The main difference I noticed was that everything was much more expensive. We did a lot of the same things we used to do. We visited the auto show building and looked at new cars. We went to the building where they usually have pig races and watched the Amazing Trick Dogs. The dogs were basically well trained agility dogs and it was fun to watch them catch frisbees, jump over hurdles, and run through an agility course. I wasn't very interested in sitting in a vibrating chair or eating a deep fried pickle, but a talented dog can always make me smile.

One of the weirdest things we saw today was a booth called Shrink Yourself. These people would make a full body scan of an individual or even a small group and then turn it into an amazingly realistic small doll that was 3-D printed. The whole process was fairly expensive and it took three weeks to get the finished doll, but people were lining up to be scanned.

As we were walking around today we found ourselves walking on a brick walkway paved with memorial bricks. This immediately brought back memories. We used to take Spot, our first Dalmatian, to Fair Park every Sunday. After he died we bought him a brick with his name on it to be placed on this walkway because Fair Park was one of his favorite places to walk. We spent a long time this afternoon trying to find Spot's brick and eventually found it. I had forgotten that we had also bought a brick for ourselves to be placed on either side of Spot. There we were thirty years later, John, Spot, and Janet, memorialized on some old bricks right in the middle of the State Fair.

Instead of having fried food on a stick, we had dinner at the Old Mill. This restaurant, located on the fairgrounds, has been around as long as I can remember. This place was built as a flour mill for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition and hasn't changed much since. The menu is exactly the same as it was when we used to bring Spot here to share fried chicken with us at an outdoor table on Sunday afternoons. Some of the old waiters seemed to be the same as well. The place that used to give Spot a free burger every year still exists at the fairground too, but none of the people we knew are still around. I imagine that many of them have died. It's been a long time.

I heard from Sky and Telescope today. They rejected my article. I was disappointed, but this was actually the most positive rejection letter I've ever received. The editor told me that everyone at the magazine loved my article. They thought the article was interesting, well written, and encouraged me to submit to the magazine again. The magazine would have loved to publish the article if I had actually seen anything through one of the telescopes. This is understandable. Sky and Telescope is an astronomy magazine, not a travel magazine. The editor liked my writing style and encouraged me to pitch other articles to the magazine in the future. I got the impression that they would like me to become a contributor. I just can't write about rainy nights at an observatory. What I need now is a plan to guarantee clear skies the next time I visit the Davis Mountains.

I walked over 25,000 steps today. This is a new Fitbit record. I'm a little tired, but I enjoyed our time at the fair. It was nice to rekindle some old memories of Spot. Sometimes it feels like my life has always been about Dalmatians. It probably always will be.

Hobbs is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3485

Janet and I went an saw Yesterday at a matinee this afternoon. We are both retired, but it still seems weird that we can just go see a movie whenever we feel like it. I liked the film. It was basically a romcom with a happy ending and lots of great music. I grew up with The Beatles and they were one of the main reasons I learned to play the guitar and was in lots of enthusiastic but inept bands during high school and college. Despite this background, I had forgotten just how many amazing songs The Beatles actually wrote. There are literally hundreds of great Beatles songs. For someone who was a freshman in high school when I Want to Hold Your Hand hit the airwaves, Yesterday was a pleasant trip down memory lane. I completely forgot that the whole premise of the movie was ridiculous.

I like going to movies in the afternoon. The theater is usually empty and you can sit anywhere you want. Ticket prices are a little lower, although they still seem high to me. We got the discounted daytime, senior citizen rate and still paid about $10 a ticket. I remember paying $5 not that long ago. OK. Maybe it was a long time ago. I wonder how movie theaters survive. Why go to a theater when you can watch the same thing on iTunes for half the price?

It is still ridiculously hot. I wear twice as much clothing now because I have to change every time I take a walk. Sweating has become a way of life. I think we have had worse heat waves in the past, but it is so humid this year that it feels even hotter than it actually is. I thought we were going to get some rain today, but one big storm system went to the West of us and then a little while later another one went to the East. Normally this would be great news. Now I'm not so sure. A nice gentle rain would cool things down. Let's not go crazy though. No more downed trees or power outages. We've had enough of those.

I watched the last episode of Chasing the Moon tonight. Seeing this back-to-back with Yesterday made me nostalgic for a time in history that I don't expect to see again any time soon. Sure, there was a lot of social unrest in the sixties. This was the era of Vietnam and campus protests as much as it was  a time of moon landings and the Beatles. The jarring memories have faded away though. I think this is human nature. We like to remember the positive things. The space program faltered for a while after the Apollo program ended and of course The Beatles broke up. These things existed though. They happened. I like to think that if we could do something once, we can do it again.

I often wonder how you keep dreams alive. I've certainly had plenty of big dreams that have faded away. Probably everybody has. It's easy for the problems of daily life to slowly grind you down one inch at a time. I mostly think about paying bills, high cholesterol, rush hour traffic, and roof leaks. Every once in a while when it is very late and very quiet, I still have dreams though. Can I reach them? Do they even matter? I guess you'll have to keep reading to find out.

Keller is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3446

June 1st will always be the day that Dot died. It was two years ago today. What a long journey. It was initially difficult for Dash to adjust to being the only dog. He was just starting to regain his confidence when he began getting sick as well. It seemed like everything we went through with Dot toward the end of her life, we repeated with Dash. At least both dogs had long, healthy lives before they began to decline. Weekends were fun for the dogs. They both loved to go to dog parks and we visited them all. Our cars were basically just dog taxis. There were rescue events to attend, indoor and outdoor dog parks to visit, evenings at dog friendly restaurants, and a weekly training class that we attended regularly for many years. For every sad memory there is a corresponding happy memory. I hope that over time, only the happy memories remain.

It was almost 90 degrees when I woke up this morning and is only 70 degrees now. Today's weather has been a roller coaster. It was hot and sunny on my morning walk and by the time I was ready to take my evening walk there were storm clouds on the horizon and I could hear distant thunder. I probably put too much faith in the weather radar, because I almost got drenched. It was weird to see the storm approaching and people still renting kayaks on the lake. Some folks began paddling for shore as soon as they saw lightning, but others seemed oblivious. I was almost home before the rain started to fall, but when I looked back toward the lake, I could still see half a dozen kayaks and stand up paddle boards out in the water. There were still a few families barbecuing on the shoreline as well. What were they thinking.

Earlier today I was wondering what a lot of dog walkers were thinking. Don't they know the dangers of heat stroke? I could tell that some of the dogs were too hot. Joggers are the worst. Most of them just don't want to stop to give their dog a rest. If you've got to walk your dog in hot weather, be sure to take some water along. If the dog wants to rest, let them. Heat stroke is very real.

This evening was much better dog walking weather. All you had to worry about was getting struck by lightning. I never walked Dot and Dash on a day like today. Neither dog did well in the heat and both were storm phobic. Dot was terrified of storms and once managed to rip out a nail while trying to run back inside after hearing a particularly loud thunderclap. We were one of the first customers for Thundershirts. Strangely, these garments actually seemed to work. Dot wore hers often.

Peaches are finally available almost everywhere now. Have I mentioned that I like peaches? I bought a dozen nice looking ones today. Unlike a lot of produce, peaches still seem to be seasonal and most of them are grown in the United States. Strawberries and blueberries are imported from all over the place, but I've still got to wait for summer to find peaches.

It's still raining, but the pumps on the roof are working. I just need to remember to turn them off before I go to bed tonight. I wonder if the storms will continue tomorrow? The thermostat says no but my phone says yes. It's silly to speculate at this point. It's all going to change by morning anyway.

Charlie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3402

Godspeed Dash. I'll see you on the other side. As Janet and I prepared to say our final goodbyes, I couldn't help but think that we'd done this way too often. We got up early this morning and prepared to make the long drive to the crematorium. These places all seem to be located in little rural communities, far from the city. It was still raining when we left the house and I was hoping that we wouldn't encounter a hailstorm. Our first stop was to pick up Dash at the cancer center. Two of his favorite nurses helped us place him in the car. They'd been with him through thyroid cancer, vestibular disease, a blood clot in the heart, and much more. We all knew this was the end of an era.

I wish pets didn't have to be placed in a freezer after they died. It must be a health regulation. Dash's fur was still soft and silky, but he was very cold. Death still seems strange and mysterious to me. The body looks exactly the same. It seems natural to want to talk to the dead, but you never get an answer. I read an article recently saying scientists now think that the brain lives on for a short time after death. I'm not sure if I like this. If Dash was still aware for a few additional moments, I hope he was comforted knowing that the two people who loved him most were still right there with him.

When we arrived at The Pet Loss Center, we wrapped Dash in his favorite blanket and sat quietly in a dimly lit room with him for a while. We remembered the good times and the bad. We probably only remembered a very small fraction of our time together. The other memories will come and go for the rest of our lives. Life with Dot and Dash was unique and special. Although both Dot and Dash were sick toward the end of their lives, they were basically very healthy dogs. We did so much together.

Since we didn't want to make the long drive to the crematorium twice, we stayed in the area while Dash was being cremated. After watching as Dash's body was placed in the retort, we had lunch in a small country restaurant the crematorium staff recommended. While we waited to pick up Dash's ashes, we enjoyed one of the best meals we've had in a long time. This family restaurant has been in the same location under the same management since 1956. The menu and prices were like traveling back to our childhood in a time machine. Our Moms made this kind of food.

There are now six little urns on our coffee table. Each dog had their own personality, but they were all definitely Dalmatians. There's something special about a Dalmatian that you're not going to understand until one of these dogs joins your family. Fun times. I just wish dogs lived longer.

I took a long walk after we returned to Dallas. I need to get some better walking shoes, but I think I'm going to be doing a lot of walking this year. While I was out today I met a photographer who was taking pictures of owls. There were two large owls, a Mom and a Dad, who were keeping guard over a nest with two baby owls. The guy said the babies weren't ready to fly yet, but that occasionally they  would stick their heads out of the hole in a dead tree where they were living. We traded stories about animals we'd seen in the park and then I continued on my way. Maybe I'll come back and take pictures of these owls someday.

I took the trash out to the curb tonight. It was the only thing that seemed normal about today.

Mattie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3230

Sometimes when I'm at the gym I think about the nature of memory. How many memories are actually stored away in our brains? I never think about the gym unless I'm actually there, but while I'm doing my exercises I have very distinct memories of doing these routines many times before. The sound the basketball makes when it hits the wood floor is very familiar. So is the sound the rotating chain makes on the hand bicycle. I can tell you almost to the second how long it will take to walk a mile on the treadmill and what my heart rate will be after ten minutes on the rowing machine. I'm almost to the point where I could tell you what song will play next on the sound system. All these inconsequential memories are stored away somewhere in my brain's filing system. All it takes to retrieve them is doing the same activity again.

I can't tell you what I have in the storage warehouse because many years ago I put something in a box and took it to the warehouse so I could forget about it. For the most part I never thought about the box again. The storage warehouse is filled with things I just didn't want to deal with anymore. I have no idea what is inside many of the boxes until I open them up again. When I look at the contents, the memories come rushing back. Some of the boxes should have remained closed. Like I said, memory is a curious thing.

You'd think I could sink every free throw on the basketball court because I've done this activity for so many years. Evidently thinking something and convincing your arms and legs to do what they're told are two different things. I still have good days and bad days on the basketball court, even though I have a very clear memory of what it feels like to sink a good shot.

Our beautiful Fall weather continues. It's so much easier to clean up poop or do irritating household chores on a really nice day. I wonder how people survive in really terrible climates? A month of rainy days is enough to seriously throw me off my game. Since it was a nice day today, I got a lot done. Dash go a nice early walk. The house got vacuumed. The laundry is done. And my checkbook is balanced.

I even picked out a storage unit and made an appointment to sign the rental agreement at the new storage warehouse. I can start moving in as early as tomorrow. Although several people have advised me to hire a mover, I think I'll just do things myself. Movers would just move all the crap from the old storage space to the new one. The whole point of this exercise is to get rid of things. Since I don't really know what I have, I will need to open and inspect all the boxes. This is not a pleasant task to say the least, but I think I'll feel better when it's over.

I think that Dash is just as influenced by the weather as I am. He seemed to have a good day as well today. Even though he is very weak and stumbles around a lot, he still seems happy. I think he knows that Janet and I are here to take care of him. I often wonder who's going to be around when I become incontinent and start stumbling around the house?

Abi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3108

Just heard that a million gallons of raw sewage is headed toward our lake. Evidently a construction crew ruptured a sewer line in a suburb North of here and the sewage flowed into a creek that feeds the lake. Life in the city I guess. We never let our dogs swim in the lake anyway because of an abundance of snakes and the ongoing threat of Leptospirosis. Lots of people do let their dogs swim in the lake though. Maybe when they start seeing dead fish, they'll know something is wrong.

It's going to be a long, hot Summer. The temperature routinely gets above one hundred degrees during the day now. It's still cool enough for Dash if we begin our morning walk at sunrise. Later in the day it gets pretty dicy. Even though Dash still wants to walk in the evening, it isn't safe to go very far. We barely made it to the end of the block this evening.

I'm going to miss watching The Expanse after breakfast on Thursdays. Season Three is over now. I watched the season finale today and although a few major issues were resolved, I was still left wondering what was going to happen next. Since we'll probably have to wait at least a year or two before the series reappears on Amazon Prime, I may have to start reading the James S.A. Corey books. The story The Expanse is based on is an eight book series. The TV show has only made it as far as book three. There's a long way to go before this saga is complete.

I barely got started on the new website project and the client already wants to go in a different direction. It's not even worth the trouble to get upset. Few people are interested in my ideas anymore and I'm not interest in arguing. I'll see if I can figure out how to do what these guys want. If not, it's no great loss. I'm more or less retired anyway.

I keep wondering what is happening with my train collection and whether my artwork has made it safely to New York yet. Why am I still thinking about these things? I'll never see this stuff again. I need to move on and start thinking about the next things I need to part with. I'm nostalgic by nature. Looking back isn't always good though. Instead of focusing on old memories, it would probably be better to start making new ones.

It's been a long week, but at least it's Friday tomorrow. Maybe we'll see another Scissor Tailed Flycatcher on our walk. These birds are always interesting to watch. Maybe the electrician will show up and fix the light in the back yard. Maybe I'll be inspired to find an interesting place to eat in the morning. Hey, Dash's poop still looks normal. That's encouraging. When a dog's poop is more encouraging than the evening news, you know we live in a world that has gone wrong.

Rascal is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3097 - Father's Day

Since my birthday is always close to Father's Day, my Mom used to tell Dad that I was his Father's Day gift. I think this annoyed my Dad. I was often a thorn in his side. I abandoned a childhood love of physics and astronomy to go to architecture school. Just when my Dad was getting used to the idea of his son as an architect, I abandoned architecture for a career in advertising. Dad had little use for advertising. He was a devout Lutheran and he never really understood when I abandoned the church. We were not always close, but I always admired my Dad. He was an honest man, a Navy veteran, and a proud member of the greatest generation.

Dad was a scientist who enjoyed watching The Three Stooges on TV after work. He was an avid reader and often gave me books he thought I should read. We never shared the same taste in books. To this day I don't know why he enjoyed Don Marquis so much. He probably wouldn't understand why I liked John Kennedy Toole. I've tried to read The Old Soak and A Variety of People and always lost interest after a few chapters. I never thought Don Marquis was funny. I usually lost interest in watching college basketball with Dad as well. Dad loved basketball. The one time when he seemed a little interested in my advertising career was when I told him I was producing a series of commercials with famed basketball announcer Dick Vitale.

I'm not a Dad myself, but I did a few dad-like things today. I reluctantly hooked up the pressure washer and did my best to clean all the spider webs off the living room windows. Spider webs are almost impossible to remove. The pressure washer will remove paint from the window trim before it will dislodge the pesky spider webs. The webs are full of spiders too. I have to remember to wear a hat when I do this chore, or I will end up with a mess of spiders in my hair. The windows look better now, but this is such a messy job. Water always seeps around the edges of the large single pane glass and I have to mop up water spills on the inside of the house. I wish there was a special paint that repelled spiders. It would be worth repainting the house just to get rid of these nasty insects.

I got a lot of exercise today. We started the day with a long sunrise walk. Dash really enjoys these early morning walks. I went to the gym right after breakfast and did pretty pretty well throwing free throws on the basketball court. Dad would have been surprised that I enjoy shooting baskets. Hey, it's a pleasant way to develop hand eye coordination. I still don't follow the sport. I couldn't fill out a NCAA tournament bracket to save my life.

I don't know how long the windows will stay clean, but I'm not looking forward to cleaning the rest of the house with the pressure washer. I usually do this once a year. Cleaning the exterior of the house and tending to the yard are largely symbolic gestures. Mother nature won this battle many years ago.

The landscaper still hasn't showed up with the replacement grass. I should introduce him to the roofer. These two guys are peas in a pod.

Bali is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3062 - Mother's Day

My Mom was younger than I am when she died. I never thought she died young at the time, but I sure do now. I wonder what she'd think if she'd lived to see today's world. She'd probably be excited. Mom was always an optimist. I ended up more like my Dad, but I appreciate Mom's influence. Thanks to her, I can usually see both sides to an issue.

My parents have been gone so long that many memories are starting to fade. I can't remember any specific advice that Mom gave me while growing up. She was honest and kind though, and overcame many adversities. I can't really imagine a better role model.

I doubt that I'm a role model to anyone. I never had children and never wanted them. Instead of sharing my values with the next generation, I just wanted to avoid children at all costs. Maybe that's why I've always been more comfortable around dogs. If there was a holiday for pet parents, I wonder if Dash would remember. I've done a lot of things wrong in my life, but I think I've always been good to our dogs.

Dash got me up in the middle of the night again. I thought his schedule had become a little more regular in recent weeks, but he is full of surprises. The latest surprise is that he can't seem to keep his boots on anymore. He's lost a boot on his walks for the last three days in a row. I've had a lot of trouble putting the boots back on while we are walking. I have a feeling that Dash is dragging his feet more and this is pulling the boots off. I'm really going to have to come up with a solution, because his paws need protection. We found a tick on Dash yesterday too. There are just way too many things that could cause this dog to bleed.

The gym was empty again today. I wonder if I'm ever going to find time to go more than once a week? Sunday's work great because Janet can stay home with Dash. I really hate to leave him for any length of time. Who knows when he's going to have another seizure or fall and be unable to get up? The older and more frail Dash becomes, the more I worry.

Now, I'm fretting about the roof again. I thought next week was going to be perfect for repairs. As recently as yesterday there was nothing but clear skies in the forecast. Now, they say there's a thunderstorm that's going to be arriving on Tuesday. Jeez. Getting the roofers to come out at all is hard enough. Getting them coordinated with the weather is impossible.

One way or another everything will get done. The roof will eventually get fixed. The trees will get trimmed. Dash will take his pills and eat his dinner. Maybe I'll even get some sleep.

Haley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3055

The trains are gone. My friend and I loaded box after box full of memories in his SUV and then he drove away. Admittedly, some of the memories are fading, but I enjoyed acquiring these things. Back in the day, my friend owned one of three train stores in Dallas and I was one of his best customers. Twenty-five years later, he owns one of the few remaining train stores in the entire country and I'm just a guy trying to downsize.

As I loaded the models onto a wheeled cart, I was surprised at how many I had. I'd totally forgotten about a lot of them. Actually, we couldn't fit everything into the car, but I made a sizable dent in the collection. My business must have been doing really well back them. I couldn't afford to buy this much useless stuff today. Actually, the models probably got me some business. I used to hang out at train stores a lot and met some interesting people. The owner of Cessna collected model trains. So did a lot of other rich old men. Most of these people are dead now. I don't know what people collect these days, but it certainly isn't trains.

I passed a classic car show in the park on my way to the storage warehouse. Back when I was collecting trains, I would have stopped at this car show. Old European sports cars were almost as interesting as trains. I drove a Citroën SM in those days. I thought my next car would be a Ferrari, but of course that never happened. Over time, my interest in cars, model trains, and even watches waned. I don't collect anything now.

Probably as my interest in dogs increased, my interest in other stuff decreased. I still like tools, however. That's something I share with my Dad. My Dad was surrounded by his tools until the day he died. If you're going to acquire something, you might as well make it a tool. Tools can be used to make a career. My tools of choice have always been cameras and recording equipment. Unlike model trains, these tools have always paid for themselves.

It was a beautiful day today. It's time to start wearing shorts again. Pretty soon it's going to be time to stay indoors. The furnace doesn't come on any more in the morning. I think another Texas Summer is on the way. I hope Dash can handle the heat this summer. He does fine on his morning walks, but he's already starting to get tired when it warms up in the afternoon. It's only going to get worse. We may have to scale back to one walk a day.

The gym was virtually empty when I went this morning. You have to be careful what you wish for. I enjoy going to the gym when it isn't crowded, but it's been so empty lately that I'm starting to worry that it might close. I don't want to look for a new gym. I like being surrounded by old familiar things. That's probably why it was so hard to get rid of the trains.

Patches is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3041

There weren't many people at the gym today. I don't talk to people at the gym, but there are many familiar faces. Apparently, I'm not the only one who has a routine they repeat over and over again. I notice when people disappear. When a younger person leaves the gym I tend to think they've gone on to bigger and better things. Maybe they got married or got a new job. When an older person leaves the gym, I wonder if they died. There was an old man who used to workout next to me. He always wore a t-shirt that said "I wish I were 80 again." When he quit coming, I didn't even have to ask. I knew he had passed away.

Life is fleeting. Almost everybody who lived on our street when we first moved here is gone now. Janet and I are the old folks in the neighborhood now. Most of the dogs I feature as my "Dalmatian of the Day" have passed away. The pictures remind me that dogs don't live nearly long enough. Sadly, I've gotten to know many of these dogs a lot better than the people who pass through my life. I don't keep up with people very well. I have a feeling I may regret this someday.

I doubt that I'll become more gregarious in my remaining years, but I certainly hope that I put the next ten years to better use than I did with the last ten years. Whenever someone who has led a rich and full life like Barbara Bush passes away, I wonder what I've done with my own life. I've had some amazing experiences, but it certainly hasn't been a purpose driven life. I'd tend to call it an accidental life.

There's nothing wrong with an accidental life. Sometimes it's better not to have a plan. I never planned to live in Dallas or have a career in advertising, but here I am. It didn't turn out so bad. I'm certainly glad that my life intersected with dogs at some point. Dogs have been a blessing.

Taking Dash on long walks every morning has made me more aware of the world around me. I know that names of native plants and animals now. I'm more aware of the weather and I'm probably in better shape than I would have been otherwise. I hate seeing Dash slow down on these walks because it reminds me that life is fleeting.

My Luddite sister has quit writing. I wonder what that means? Dash quits eating occasionally. I wonder what that means? There was a segment on Sixty Minutes tonight about Alzheimer's that was somewhat frightening. I had an uncle with Alzheimer's. My Mom used to think that my Dad had Alzheimer's, but he was really just turning off his hearing aid. He remembered; he just quit listening. Memories, even accidental memories, are important. That's why I keep writing. Each day leaves a new memory that gradually forms a trail of breadcrumbs for me to find later.

Mindy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3006

I was listening to NPR as I was driving to the gym this morning. There was a program about Alzheimer's Disease and they were interviewing someone at a nursing home in Germany where they were having problems with patients becoming extremely agitated and trying to run away. They tried a lot of things without much success and then someone suggested that they build a bus stop right in front of the facility where no bus would ever come. Patients still tried to escape and almost inevitably went straight to the bus stop where they sat on the bench and waited for the bus that never came. Eventually they forgot what they were waiting for and a nurse would come and talk with them and lead them back inside. Doctors were surprised that the patients no longer seemed agitated. Instead of being restrained or locked inside the facility, they had been allowed to slowly and peacefully forget their inner voices. I don't know why this story resonated with me. It just seemed to make a lot of sense. Perhaps we all need a place to forget the things that trouble us.

Four years ago today Dash was in the middle of radiation treatments for his thyroid cancer. The treatments were arduous and we were just hoping that Dash was strong enough to complete the program. Three years ago today Dot was slowly learning to walk again after spinal surgery. Two years ago today Dot could walk pretty well, but her abdominal cancer had returned and she was taking chemo again, along with monthly ultrasound scans to measure the size of her tumors. A year later Dot was too weak to continue the chemo treatments and walking was limited to slowly going around the block. It's been a long journey. Now Dash is going to the same cancer center for monthly scans to measure the size of the blood clot in his heart. Sometimes it's hard to remember when the dogs were healthy. Actually, they were both healthy for a long, long time. I need to remember the good times. There were lots and lots of good times. I'd like to think if we remember the good times, maybe we can recreate them.

The gym was quiet today. The basketball players are gone and I have the court to myself again. Actually, just about everybody was gone this morning. I wonder why gym attendance fluctuates so much. Once I get a routine in place, I like to keep it. Apparently, other people are more spontaneous about their Sunday activities.

It rained a lot last night, but I didn't feel like going up on the roof. Now that Spring is on the way, the roof is covered in sticky yellow catkins that fall as the oak trees start to bud. These little flowers turn the standing water bright yellow and make the clean up process much more difficult. I need to clear the catkins away soon though. They form little dams that hold the water and turn the roof into a duck pond.

It's always something. I cleared a slow draining sink today. That was enough drudgery for one day. I need to make a new pair of protective boots for Dash. The pair he's been wearing has just about worn out. I'll put this on my list for next week. If the new refrigerator repairman can solve my ongoing problems tomorrow, it will be a good week no matter what else happens. I'm hoping for the best.

Nick is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2957

Time flies. Three years ago I was out at Vandenberg Air Force Base as a guest of NASA to watch the SMAP launch. I didn't realize that this would be my last trip for a long, long time. Six years ago, Entrecard disappeared. Again, I didn't realize that this was the end of something. Blogging was never the same again. Things keep changing, but as always, I never realize the implications until much later. If there are changes or surprises in store for me in 2018, I hope they are good ones.

The gym seems to have lost a few members. Maybe some people quit when the price went up. Since I don't know any of these people, there is no way to know for sure. I'm doing my workouts earlier now. It leaves more time later in the day to do other things I don't like to do. If Saturday is a day for errands, Sunday has become a day for exercise. When I returned home today, I vacuumed. Vacuuming is more work than it seems because I always have to move so much clutter, just so I can clean the carpets. It would be tempting to just vacuum around all the junk on the floor, but it would defeat the whole purpose of cleaning. Dust hides under clutter.

It was beautiful outside today, but the nice weather made it difficult to walk Dash. On pretty, warm days the park is filled with joggers, cyclists, and people walking their dogs. It is impossible for Dash to walk in a straight line. He is always zig-zagging around, following his nose. If we are on a road or trail, I have to keep an eye out for bicycles. The cyclists are silent and never slow down for dogs. I have to keep an eye out for loose dogs too. Way too many people think it is perfectly OK to let their dog off leash in the park. There are signs all over the place saying that all dogs must be on a leash, but apparently nobody reads signs. I have seen these loose dogs get into fights with other dogs, but the owners never think it is their fault. I prefer days like yesterday when it is cold and misty with nobody in sight.

I was thinking of starting to watch Black Mirror on Netflix today, but there wasn't enough time. My simple Sunday routine eats up the entire day. There's an early dog walk, followed by breakfast and a trip to the gym. Sometime I go to the grocery store on the way home from the gym, but I didn't today. Afternoons always include some chore that I can't put off any longer. Today it was vacuuming. Often it is getting the water off the roof. To get Dash to eat properly, I have to split his dinner into two parts, with a walk in the middle. This ritual take longer than you might think. With the time I had left, I repaired my walking shoes while Janet was fixing dinner and that was about it.

The Grammy Awards are on TV now in another part of the house. I don't know who any of these people are. Where are the new bands like Pink Floyd, Procol Harum, and King Crimson? For that matter, where are the singers like Percy Sledge, Marvin Gaye, and Janis Joplin? I don't know if I'm old school or just old, but I still prefer "Dark Side of the Moon," to "XXX,"

January is almost over. Dash has another appointment for an echocardiogram this coming Thursday. Then there's Groundhog Day. It always feels like Groundhog Day to me.

Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 2880

Sometimes I wonder about the repetitive nature of my life. I tend to do the same things over and over again. It's not that I lack imagination. It just feels comfortable to repeat familiar things. My regular Sunday excursion to the gym feels so familiar that I bet I could do my routine blindfolded. I always use the same machines, in the same order, for the same amount of time. The only thing that changes is how tired I feel. Sometimes my workout seems easy. Other times it is a real effort.

I usually hate using the hand bicycle for the first five minutes. As my body heats up, I begin to forget I'm exercising and start to daydream. I wonder about the other people in the gym and why they are there. After ten minutes of this I start thinking about being done and push a little harder. For the last five minutes my heart rate is elevated the way it should be and I am sweating.  When I'm finished with the hand bicycle, I shoot baskets on the court. I try to shoot ten free throws before I return to the machines. Sometimes this goes quickly. Other times I can't seem to connect and it takes forever. When I'm on the treadmill I start slow and gradually increase the speed and incline at regular intervals. When I've put in twenty minutes on the treadmill, there are a variety of resistance machines I like to use. Even though my time on the basketball court varies from week to week, it always seems to take 62 minutes to finish my routine. My watch says I burn about 450 calories, but it feels like a lot more.

Dash must have felt like he needed some exercise this morning as well, because he seemed very eager to walk when we got up this morning. He actually seemed more interested on going out the back door than in having his breakfast, which was unlike him. We got him suited up and off we went. Janet and I have learned that when Dash wants to walk, it is best to take advantage of the opportunity. As soon as we got to the park, Dash headed straight for the shoreline. We had a surprisingly long walk this morning and Dash still didn't seem that tired when we returned home. I'm not sure what this all means, but I hope it's a good sign.

It was a dreary day with scattered light showers. There was no point in washing the car or doing something on the roof, so I vacuumed the house instead. I wish the house looked clean after I vacuumed, but it always looks exactly the same. The only proof that I've done anything at all is a canister full of dog hair and dirt. I'm always amazed that Dash can shed so much while still maintaining a healthy, full coat of hair. I vacuum up enough dog hair every month to make a new dog, but Dash always looks exactly the same.

I saw a trailer for a movie called Salyut-7 that I would like to see. Unfortunately, the film is Russian and doesn't seem to have been released in North America yet. One of the interesting things about this movie is that there are 20 minutes of weightless scenes that were supposedly shot in space. The rumor is that it was more cost effective to actually shoot the film in space than to create the complex digital effects that were used in films like Gravity. I wonder if this is true? It will probably be a long time before I get a chance to see for myself. Salyut-7 is available on several Bit Torrent sites but my computer would be riddled with viruses if I ever tried to download it. I'll just wait until it shows up on iTunes.

I noticed that it's been two years since we had that awful water leak under our foundation. I wonder why the bad things are so much easier to remember than the good things?

Jada is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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