Day 4370

It was a busy shopping day. I'm having to go to more stores now to find everything on my list. I don't think this has anything to do with Covid. Stores just aren't restocking items that don't sell well. Only one store sells my favorite beer now and I even had trouble finding the seasoned croutons we like to put on our salads. I did manage to find the right sized metric screws to mount the new TV on the stand we bought, but then decided not to use the stand after all. I remembered that I had some extra white storage cubes in the the storage warehoue that matched the ones already in the bedroom. The TV is set up now, programmed, and everything works. I was able to get rid of a huge rat's next of wires and cables when I got rid of the large duplicating VCR and other obsolete attached devices.

I wasn't terribly surprised that the FedEx truck never showed up. I received an e-mail this afternoon saying that the package will now be delivered tomorrow, even though the FedEx website still says it is scheduled to be delivered today. The delivery progress map on the website shows that the shipment is still in California. FedEx is my least favorite delivery service. UPS and Amazon are both better. Even the Post Office is better than FedEx. I tried to get the package held for pickup at a convenient FedEx printing center that I've used on the past, but inexplicably it wasn't on the list. When I called the local store to see if they could help me, they just transferred my call to an offshore call center. I finally just put a vacation hold on the package and will deal with it later. Tomorrow is our next Santa Paws event and it's not a good day to leave a package sitting on the porch all day.

Today wasn't a good day for walking. My feet hurt so much that I had to cut my long walk short and head for home. I only made it a little over three miles today. I still can't figure out why my feet hurt on some days and not on others. There should be a logical, predictable reason for this but I can't figure it out. I wear the same shoes and walk the same route every day, but some days are definitely better than others.

The traffic in Dallas has gotten terrible. I guess people are Christmas shopping now, but I don't ever remember it being this bad in early December. A lot of people are moving here from other states, but this is getting ridiculous. This town is full of aggressive drivers too. Why people will race to get ahead of you in a city full of traffic lights is beyond me. Even if you manage to beat the light, the next one is going to get you. I really miss the empty roads of West Texas. 

There's a Cajun Seafood Casserole at Central Market we both like, so I picked up some for dinner tonight. At least I thought I picked some up. "This looks kind of different." I told Janet at dinner time. "That's because you bought the Chicken Carbonara Casserole," she said. Have I mentioned that I'm not very observant? I could have sworn I got the Seafood Casserole, but sure enough it clearly said Chicken Carbonara right on the label.

I hope our Santa Paws event goes well tomorrow. Everything is ready to be loaded into the car again. All the equipment worked last week, so there's a good chance it will work this week as well. 

Emmitt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 4369

The new TV arrived today. As expected, there were a few surprises. For starters I couldn't attach the TV to the stand I'd put together the other day. The wall mount screws included with the stand were the wrong size and there were no screws included with the TV. I thought about just placing the TV on top of the VRC and set top box like the old TV, but it was too wide and wouldn't fit. Right now it is sitting on the floor and way too low to view.

I had an online chat with a Samsung tech support guy who kept recommending a wall mount screw size that other people online said wouldn't work. This small TV is seldom wall mounted, so that is part of the problem. It is also not very popular since most people get larger sizes. I actually think this is the smallest 4K TV available. I guess I'll go to the storage warehouse tomorrow and bring home some small cube tables that will at least raise the TV up to a decent viewing height. I'll also go to Home Depot and buy a wide selection of metric screws. Something is bound to work.

I managed to get the TV hooked up to our cable service and turn off some of the most annoying features. I really don't want my TV talking to me. It's annoying enough to have my watch and phone talk to me. I need to figure out how to disable the built in Alexa feature. Janet doesn't want Alexa snooping on us. I had a lot of things like a Roku stick and Apple TV hooked up to the old TV, but these streaming services all seem to be built into this TV. Setting up a TV these days involves scanning a lot of QR codes with your phone and configuring the TV using an app. I can never seem to type using my phone, so I enter the information on my computer in the office instead. I think I spent the entire afternoon walking back and forth between the office and the bedroom where the TV is. Basically I'm too old for a high tech TV. I was happy enough with 13 channels and the little portable Sony Trinitron I had decades ago.

It's looks like I'll have to wait for the FedEx truck. I could never figure out how to request that my shipment be held at a Fedex facility. The FedEx website is basically broken. When I'm not signed in, it offers a variety of choices for managing my delivery. Of course when I'm not signed in, it doesn't know who I am. As soon as I sign in to my account, all these choices disappear. I tried calling the FedEx help line, but it is completely automated now. Have you ever tried to describe your problem to one of those automated artificial intelligence voices? It will drive you mad. It's hard to explain to one robot that another robot isn't working. 

I don't think I'm going to get my 20,000 steps today. Dawn got her sunrise walk and I took a longer four mile walk later. I usually need one more short walk to go over 20,000 steps. Sorry. When I should have been walking, I was at Home Depot looking for a small table for the new TV. I also went to a neighborhood Walgreens to see if they could hold my FedEx package, but their in-store Fedex facility was such a shambles that I left without even talking to anyone. All in all, it wasn't a very productive day. 

Tomorrow is basically just waiting for the FedEx driver. I'll do my grocery shopping and hopefully get some walking in while Janet is still at home to sign for the shipment. Probably we'll wait all day and the shipment won't come anyway,. That's usually how it works.

Princess is todays Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 4367

Today was uneventful. I wanted to sleep longer this morning even though I got plenty of sleep. It was warmer when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk today. It was also very foggy. Construction on the trails in the park has blocked some of the routes we used to take, but this doesn't seem to have bothered Dawn. The short little one mile loop that provides the quickest path back to the house is still her favorite.

I spent some extra time walking today because I couldn't think of anything else I wanted to do. I've had three 20,000 step days in a row now. Walking is a good way to avoid things. You're really not doing anything, but you feel good about it. It's a lot better than just sitting in a chair. I let my mind wander while I walk, but I don't have many profound thoughts. I basically do the same things I used to do as a kid when my parents took us on car trips. I count animals. I try to identify brands of cars at a distance. I think about what I'm going to have for dinner. I have no plans to save the world and very few big dreams. When I hear someone say they are passionate about something I am mystified. What is that even about? A lot of things are interesting, but I don't think I've ever been passionate about anything.

I've joined a lot of interest groups on the Internet over the years and I'm continually amazed at the time and energy some people put into their hobbies. Amateur astronomers are always trying to outdo each other with pictures of their telescopes. These guys spend a fortune on telescopes. Watch collectors used to do the same thing but I don't see as much interest in watches anymore. The Apple Watch has kind of taken over the watch market. Model railroading has almost disappeared. I don't think younger people are very interested in trains. Some of the dog show people are pretty intense, but I do enjoy seeing pictures of their dogs. I used to be interested in art, but I sold most of my collection. I don't miss any of the things that used to hang on our walls. I still get e-mail from the galleries and auction houses though. They must think I have more stashed away somewhere. Pick your passion, I guess. There seems to be an unlimited number of things you can obsess about.

The stand for the new TV arrived today. We had to get a stand because current model flat screens don't have a pedestal base and you can't just place them on top of the VCR and cable set top box like our old TV. The box for the stand is smaller than I thought it would be but is very heavy. I haven't opened it yet, but I have a feeling that there will be a lot of assembly involved. I know that Janet will want to throw the old TV away when the new one arrives. I will inevitably want to get it repaired and then place it in the storage warehouse. Jeez. I still haven't used any of the keyboards and synthesizers I had repaired two years ago. I'll have a million reasons for saving the TV, but most of them will be bogus. It might make a good second monitor for my computer, but my desk isn't even big enough for two large monitors. Lets face it. I just don't like to throw things away.

Activity really seems to be picking up down at Kennedy Space Center. There is a launch scheduled almost every week now. I wish it wasn't so expensive to go down there. I can't say I'm passionate about space either, but launches are really interesting. At least they are interesting for now. One of these days I'll realize that they are all basically just the same. A flash of light, a loud noise, and three minutes later it's all over.

Willow is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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