Day 4773

We moved the rescue Dalmatians to their new kennel this morning. The dogs have been in limbo at a temporary facility for several months while the rescue group looked for a replacement for Waggin Tails, which unfortunately shut down. The new place is very nice and we hope the dogs will be happy there until they find their forever homes.

We picked up the dogs at the rescue group's veterinary clinic, where they all had just received a bath. Landry, our newest rescue, rode with Janet and I to the new kennel. He is a handsome two year old male, and like many of our rescue dogs, it was hard to believe he was an owner surrender. Who could give up a dog like this? Landry was well behaved in the car and seemed a little scared. His nervousness was certainly understandable. The poor guy has been through a lot of changes in the last month or so. His life is going to take a turn for the better though. We're going to find him a great home with someone who realizes that having a dog is a lifelong commitment.

The new kennel is further away than the old kennel, but is is very clean and well managed. Everyone who helped with moving the dogs this morning liked the place and we think the dogs will like it too. Janet and I will be able to visit the dogs as well. We might not be able to visit quite as often because the kennel is quite a bit further from our house, but regular visits are important. Playing with the dogs and working on basic training will help socialize them and hopefully ensure a successful adoption.

Our winter weather continues to be full of surprises. It was quite warm today, which makes for pleasant walks. We walked Dawn in the dark again this morning because Janet had an early class at the gym. Dawn could care less whether it is dark or light outside. All she is interested in are the smells. She loves to smell things in the park. There are tons of critters who call the place home and Dawn is curious about all of them. We saw some bunnies this morning. We're seeing a lot more bunnies this year, which probably means there are fewer coyotes in the area.

I proofread my SpaceFlight article several times and selected several pictures to accompany it before sending everything off to my editor in London. I was fairly pleased with the article and hope the magazine likes it as well. Most of my pictures turned out well, but the camera I set up to take an automated launch sequence malfunctioned, so I didn't get good photos of the rocket leaving the pad. Everything else turned out excellent though. It might be a while before my next article. These trips are becoming a lot more expensive and I don't think I can afford to go to Kennedy Space Center more than a couple of times a year.     I still love to chase rockets though, so I'll find a way to get down there for important launches.

I did a lot better on my long walk today than I did yesterday. I completed my full six miles and got over 20,000 steps. The nice weather helped me maintain a pretty good pace today. The temperature was about 68 degrees and there was no wind. For me, this is just about perfect. I'm wondering if the eagles have moved on. I haven't seen Nick and Nora for over a month now. Another Muscovy Duck joined the small group that lives near Sunset Bay. I wonder where this one came from? Unlike the mallards, geese, and white pelicans which tend to travel in large groups, these Muscovy Ducks are loners. Maybe that's why they seem interesting to me.

Dawn got another ribbon at training class tonight. She's a smart dog and has won more ribbons than Dash by now. Janet says she really enjoys the class too. All in all it was a good day. Life is good as long as I keep the TV turned off and don't have to hear about current events. I prefer my own little world.

Dovey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4772

I hate Bluehost. I practically spent all day trying to get my e-mail account to work and each time I called customer service their suggestions made the problem even worse. In the beginning only the laptop e-mail didn't work. All I wanted to do was enter the desktop settings in the laptop, but when I tried to sync the two computers, the bad laptop passwords got transferred into my desktop computer instead. Now both computers couldn't send or receive e-mail. Bluehost customer service wouldn't tell me what my good passwords were, so they advised me to delete my account and start over. When I tried this I had even more Bluehost passwords stored in my Apple Internet settings and none of them seemed to work. After a while nothing associated with Bluehost would work. I couldn't access sealander.com or even the Dalmatian Rescue website.

Customer service kept telling me that it wasn't their problem and to call AT&T instead. I knew this wasn't the issue, but I did call and AT&T ran some tests and said everything looked good on their end. Offshore customer service reps are frustrating to begin with. They are off in India or Malaysia and it is very hard to understand what they are saying. They must all be in a big room somewhere because you can hear lots of other service representatives talking in the background. The phone connection always seems very poor as well. I talked to three different Bluehost customer service reps today and none of them were able to help. They didn't even seem to want to help. These guys kept saying that I had configured my computer wrong. Nope. The computer was configured correctly. It could connect to everything else in the world, except the Bluehost servers.

I shut everything down, took my long walk, and ate dinner. This evening I tried to configure Apple Mail again using the same setting I'd been using all day and everything worked. I hadn't changed anything. Why couldn't Bluehost just admit to me that the problem was on their end? They kept trying to pass the buck and blame someone else. I'd switch my account but almost everyone is using offshore customer service these days. Most of these people are just reading from a script. I miss the days when you could call a real software engineer who actually understood your problems and could come up with a solution on the spot. Apple certainly isn't helping things either. There are settings stored in System Preferences, in your Browser Preferences, and in Apple Mail that all have to match. Sometime there are iCloud settings as well.

Needless to say, I didn't get my article about the Falcon Heavy launch to my editor today. I'll try again tomorrow, assuming that I don't lose all my setting again overnight. I can't believe how much time I wasted on this today. Dawn got a nice walk in the morning, but I took a much shorter walk about 3 PM because I was tired and more than a bit frustrated.

We're going to move the rescue Dalmatians to a new kennel tomorrow. They've been in  a temporary kennel for months now and Janet and I haven't been able to visit them. Now that the dogs have a permanent home again, we should be able to go play with them on a regular basis. We have some new dogs now and Janet and I should have a chance to meet them tomorrow. Visiting the dogs will be a nice change of pace from today's Internet woes. Today wasn't a total loss though. I did get everything from my trip unpacked and put away and did a load of laundry.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4615

Today was busy. Our rain and cooler weather is just a memory now. The temperature didn't set any records today, but it is definitely still summer. We took Dawn on her sunrise walk, had some bacon and eggs for breakfast and then went to move the rescue Dalmatians. The move took longer than expected and there were several complications, but we got the job done.

When we returned home I did my grocery shopping. I'm beginning to think the preppers might be right. Almost every week something on my list seems to be in short supply. Are we headed toward Armageddon? So far, the shortages appear to be random. You never know which shelves are going to be empty. I can still find what I need, but I often have to go to several stores. Janet thinks that things are going to get worse. I hope not. I'm not used to seeing empty shelves in grocery stores.

I picked up a prescription while I was shopping. GoodRx is still a lot cheaper than my prescription drug plan. Why am I paying so much for my Part-D plan when it doesn't even give me the best prices? Medical costs are a mystery. There is no rhyme or reason to anything.

The oil light came on in Janet's car when we were moving the dogs, so I picked up some oil for her at Auto Zone. Oil is another thing that has gotten real expensive. I remember when engine oil was only a couple of dollars a quart. Now most later model cars require synthetic oils and the prices are over ten dollars a quart.

I went to the gym later this afternoon but I didn't get to stay as long as I usually do. The gym closes early on Saturday and I got a late start. I managed to get my steps on the indoor track, but ran out of time on the basketball court. I'd never stayed at the gym until it closed before. Someone comes around to all the stations at closing time and shoos everyone out. The gym is closed tomorrow, but I'll probably go mall walking again.

I picked up Chinese for dinner tonight. I hope the little neighborhood restaurant that Janet and I like manages to stay in business. It hasn't been very busy the last several times I've been there and this evening the place was completely empty when I came to pick up my order. The food is good but I don't think we can keep the place going on our own. Chinese food once or twice a month is plenty.

I need to remember to do my mall walking early tomorrow so we can still take Dawn on her Sunday outing. There are still a lot of things that need attention in the yard, but I'm going to wait until it gets a little cooler. 

Emma is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4614

JoJo got adopted today. Janet and I met the couple who were interested in him this morning. They looked at several dogs but it was clear that JoJo was their favorite. JoJo seemed to know that he had found his forever home. He didn't want to get in the car when we were changing kennels, but this time he hopped right in the couple's car for his freedom ride. They definitely got a good dog. Everyone who meets JoJo comments on how friendly and easy going he is. I'm glad he found a home.

Since I knew we were going to the kennel today, I went to the gym early. Dawn still got her sunrise walk and I had my regular breakfast, but I was out of the house before 9 AM. One of these days I'm going to need to change up my exercise routine. I continue to do exactly the same things day after day. That's OK though. It's an easy way to get my Fitbit steps and have a little fun on the basketball court without getting hot and sweaty. I don't know how they keep my gym so cold. The place is like a refrigerator.

I finally heard something from NASA today. Unfortunately it was not the news I've been waiting for. Today's message was primarily meant for people planning to attend the rollout on August 18. It would be nice to attend both the rollout and the launch, but I can barely afford launch day travel expenses. Oh, well. I've already seen the Artemis rocket sitting on the pad. It was there the last time I was down at the space center for the Axiom-1 launch. I'm really hoping that everything stays on schedule. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do if the launch gets delayed.

We're planning to move the rescue Dalmatians to a new kennel tomorrow. The current kennel is nice, but the kennel runs are too small for larger dogs like Dalmatians. Since some of the dogs end up spending a long time at the kennel before they find their forever homes, they deserve a bigger kennel run. I wasn't aware that there were so many boarding kennels in the Dallas area until we needed to find a new home for the dogs. There seem to be kennels everywhere. The place we are going tomorrow is new and is very clean. I think we have enough volunteers that everyone will only need to make one trip when we are transferring the dogs. I hope that everyone, especially Charlie, likes their new home and we won't have to move them again. Rescue dogs have had enough stress in their lives already. We want them to be happy.

It doesn't seem like it's time to make a grocery list already. It feels like I just did this a few days ago. I need to remember to pick up a prescription at the pharmacy as well. It's shaping up to be a very busy day tomorrow. It's already too hot again to go walking in the park during the day, but I'm not sure when I'm going to find time to go to the gym. I'll probably end up going late in the day. I was hoping that we might get some more rain next week, but rain has already disappeared from the forecast. At least Wednesday's rain didn't cause any roof leaks. I dodged a bullet on that one.

Ellis is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4610

Well, the rain disappeared from the forecast overnight and now it shows no chance of rain for the next week. The yard is looking pretty dry right now. We still take our sunrise walks with Dawn, but they are only nice when there is a breeze. Maybe I got spoiled by last summer's cooler than normal temperatures, but I'm really getting tired of this.

There isn't a lot to write about lately. I don't like talking about politics or current events and I don't have many irons in the fire myself. Every day is so similar to the previous day that I could save a lot of time and just write one post for the entire summer. Maybe this monotony will eventually force me into doing something more substantial. Time will tell. For now I'm just treading water.

We didn't visit the rescue Dalmatians today. The new kennel doesn't have a space for us to play with the dogs and they are very busy. The dogs are well cared for, but it is very different from the previous kennel. Things may change in the future, but for now we just hope that they all get adopted soon. Janet and I are meeting someone who wants to look at one of the dogs later this week. Maybe someone will get lucky and find their forever home.

I went back to the gym after breakfast this morning. I still think it's strange that the same people are always there doing the same things day after day. They probably think it's strange that I'm doing the same things day after day as well. Who knows. Maybe it's Groundhog Day for all of us. 

I'm wishing now that I'd snapped up one of those Special Viewing Nights on the Otto Struve telescope. I'm so bored this summer that the long drive out to West Texas doesn't seem quite so bad anymore. There's still the Artemis-1 launch at the end of the month, but I have a strong feeling that this launch will be delayed or postponed again. The program is already years behind schedule. What's a few more months at this point. I just hope they decide what they are going to do before I get on the plane. There have been a lot of big bills this summer and I can't really afford a trip to Florida for nothing.

Janet cleans the house on Monday. Cleaning makes me uneasy because I feel like I'm probably the one who made the place dirty in the first place. We each have our chores around the house, but I'm probably a little behind on mine. I have a feeling that I should get out the vacuum cleaner tomorrow. Vacuuming the rugs is easy. The other things that need attention are a lot more difficult. I need to repair the trim around the windows. Paint is starting to peel away in places but to get a smooth finish I would need to sand all the trim down to the bare wood and start over. Since the trim moulding is a bit ornate, it is a lot of work. There are cracks in the sheetrock that need to be spackled and patched. Once I did that I would need to paint though. Painting is such a mess. The dryer hose needs to be cleaned but it's hard for me to get behind the dryer now and remove it. I could go on and on. Basically, I'm just tired of fixing things. We've lived in this house too long.

Maybe something interesting will happen tomorrow. I wouldn't count on it though. These are the dog days of summer.

Lilly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4602

We got all the dogs moved to the new kennel this morning. The move went smoothly and everyone seems happy in their new home. All of us thought that Charlie would probably be the hardest to move but he turned out to be the easiest. JoJo, who is usually laid back and calm, was the one who hated to get in the car. The new kennel runs are smaller than what the dogs were used to previously, but they are clean and I think the dogs will be OK. 

There is a nice outdoor yard at the kennel that will be even nicer when the weather cools down. The staff takes each dog out to pee every few hours so they aren't stuck in their kennel runs all day. It took four of us to move the dogs this morning and the staff at the new kennel was very helpful. I thought this move would be a huge ordeal, but it turned out to be fairly easy. I suffered the only mishap when one of the dogs scratched my arm and it started to bleed. I've got to stop taking baby asprin. My skin is thinner now and I bleed easily. I didn't even notice the cut until I looked down at some point and saw dried blood all over my arm. I still don't know which dog scratched me. I didn't feel a thing.

On the way home from the kennel I stopped at Northpark Mall to give mall walking a try. I wish I'd thought of this earlier. It's an enjoyable place to walk a few miles. The stores open at noon on Sunday, but the mall itself opens an hour earlier. If you come at 11 AM there is plenty of parking and no big crowds inside. There were plenty of mall walkers, but the place wasn't as crowded as the park on a typical Sunday. I hadn't been to Northpark in over a year and was surprised at how much the place had changed. There were a ton of new stores and many of the existing stores had moved to new locations. Somebody must still have money in Dallas. There were no low end stores left. The place seems like a climate controlled Rodeo Drive now. As it got closer to noon I began to see lines form in front of some stores. The largest line was at the Apple Store. Some if the restaurants had big crowds as well. When I returned to my car after walking several miles, the parking lots were completely full. I'd have to conclude that shopping is still much more popular than mall walking in Dallas.

Dawn still got her Sunday outing. When we stopped at the Sunday park to let Dawn smell things, she immediately peed next to the car and then wanted to hop back in. She had no interest in being out in the hot sun. She was interested in an ice cream cone though. Dawn is always calmer on the ride home after she's had her ice cream. All the rescue dogs were much better in the car than Dawn is. Dawn wins the prize for worst dog to take on a road trip. All the kennel dogs rode calmly to their new home with no issues at all this morning. Even JoJo rode well after we finally managed to get him in the back seat. He just didn't want to get in the car. This is probably where I got scratched. JoJo is a strong dog.

The rest of the day was uneventful. I thought about upgrading the star tracker, since the new firmware is available now. A nap sounded better though. I'll wait until I'm really bored to mess with the star tracker again. It's hard to believe that it's going to be August tomorrow. Where has this year gone? It looks like August is going to be a busy month for me. I have a dental appointment on Tuesday and several doctors appointments later in the month. I need to get my car safety inspected and I think it's time for an annual maintenance visit as well. The Artemis-1 launch is getting closer too. Honestly, I'd rather take a long nap and have someone wake me up in September. Our extreme weather is really getting old.

Shelby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day