Day 3979

The Crew-1 launch was amazing. I was apprehensive about the weather at first, but the chances of rain gradually decreased as the day progressed. By the time the launch took place at 7:27 PM, the skies were clear enough to see a bit of the Milky Way between patches of broken clouds. It really was a beautiful night for a historic launch. The Resilience capsule held four astronauts instead of the usual three. The trip to the International Space Station will be the longest any astronaut has ever taken due to the nature of the orbit. This was also the first time a private company had contracted with NASA to take a crew into space. A lot was riding on this launch to say the least.

Since NASA no longer takes the  press to launch events like this in busses, the media folks gathered at Patrick Air Force Base to form a convoy that would travel to the viewing location using our own cars. There were quite a few people in our group and our convoy looked like a parade. We were all flashing our blinkers behind a lead Air Force car. Our host found us a perfect viewing location directly across the water from Pad 39A. There's usually a lot of waiting prior to a launch, which is kind of ironic because the launch itself is over in a matter of minutes. We typically arrive at the designated location at least an hour or two before the launch. This leaves plenty of time for photographers to fret about their cameras and tell war stories about launches where none of the equipment worked. 

I'm always worried that I'll do something wrong and all my photos will be out of focus. It's harder than you think to focus on something in the dark. I take a lot of practice shots as the rocket is fueling but this doesn't even get you close to the exposure you need for the launch itself. The flame from the engines is so bright that if you expose for the flame, you can't see the rocket and if you expose for the rocket, the bright flame overexposes your entire shot. There is a lot of guesswork involved and I learn new techniques from the other photographers very time I visit the Space Center. I'm beginning to feel like a regular now. This is the fourth launch I've attended at Kennedy Space Center. I've been to an additional launch at Vandenberg Air Force Base too. That being said, I've still got a long way to go. Many of the other photographers have photographed hundreds of launches and a few of the older guys have photographed thousands.

While I was waiting to leave for Patrick Air Force Base this morning, I started writing my article for the magazine in my hotel room. I made good progress and probably have about a third of the article completed. It's probably a good thing that I did this. I forget things quickly and I promised my editor a first draft by the end of the day on Monday anyway. It's rare to meet another writer at these events. Most of the media people I've encountered are either photographers or videographers. Some of the writers work for space oriented websites. I'm old school. I'm pleased to have the opportunity to write for a real magazine that you can hold in your hand. Probably the people who do podcasts get ten times the exposure that I do. Who cares. I still like magazines. Sky and Telescope is a real magazine too. I used to read it when I was in high school.

I was hungry when I returned from the launch, but the restaurant in the hotel was closed. The manager at the front desk said most restaurants close early on Sunday. I'm sure there were still restaurants open somewhere in Titusville but I didn't feel like driving any more. I had a bag of chips for dinner. I was surprised at how many cars were on the road while I was driving back to my hotel. There was bumper-to-bumper traffic for at least thirty miles. Evidently 250,000 people watched this launch and a lot of them were aparently still on the road. 

My coach turns back into a pumpkin tomorrow. As soon as I finish writing this, I've got to start packing my bags. I actually don't mind living out of a hotel room. It's simple and relatively painless. Nobody makes up your room anymore because of Covid, but I know how to make my own bed. I also feel safer leaving my electronic gear in the room, knowing that it will be untouched until I leave. The only thing bad about this new normal is that I'm a bit of a hypochondriac. Every time I end up talking to someone without a mask, I feel like the end is near. My waitress at breakfast this morning wasn't wearing a mask and was handling food and talking to everybody. I don't think I'll have to worry for the rest of the year though. I can't afford to go anywhere else.

Honey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3827

I always used to think I was an early adopter. My first computer was an Osborne 1. I was online way before browsers and the World Wide Web even existed. I had a home office long before it became a fad. What a surprise to discover that I'm actually pretty old school. In my own way, I'm probably just as bad as my Dad who steadfastly refused to use a computer at all. I'm still having a hard time adapting to online banking. I've made the switch, but it still seems easier to write a paper check and take it to the post office. I rarely made mistakes when writing checks, but I always have to check for typos now. It's easy to void a paper check, but a lot harder to undo an online mistake after you've hit send. At any rate, I did manage to get the bills paid today.

I'm becoming increasingly skeptical about modern life. What does all this technology really prove? I don't answer my phone anymore because I know I will be talking to a telemarketer. I seldom even make a call because it is so irritating to connect with an automated call center. I carefully delete cookies and the browser cache every evening before I shut off my computer. Almost nothing is trustworthy or reliable anymore. Maybe that's why I like those old Perry Mason shows. When somebody wanted to talk to Perry, they just called him up and he always picked up the phone. Nobody would ever send Perry a text message in the courtroom. I miss the days when I had a list of dependable suppliers and vendors and I could call each of them directly whenever I had a problem. All bets are off these days. Do you really trust Angie's List or Yelp. I don't.

Even writing the blog was easier when it was just a daily journal entry written by hand in a little leather bound book. Maybe I should go back to those simple journals. I was never writing for an audience. The blog and the yearly journals that preceded it were always just a way for me to keep track of my life when my memory begins to fail. My memory is still pretty sharp, but it is interesting to go back occasionally and see what I was doing five years ago. If I ever get Alzheimer's, having a detailed record like this might help.

I always wanted to keep this narrative going for 5000 consecutive days. Maybe 4000 is enough. I'm having second thoughts about all this. The world has changed a lot since I started the blog over ten years ago. People seem more argumentative now. I remember flame wars on those old Usenet News Groups but it never seemed personal. There is an angry vibe online these days and I've never been interested in arguing. I'm not even interested in having a dialog. Whenever I see one of those "If you blah, blah, blah, just unfriend me now" messages I feel like unfriending the person even if I happen agree with them. All the raw emotion and endless memes are becoming tedious. I think I was more comfortable with the Internet back when it was just a few nerdy electrical engineering majors struggling to send simple messages over a 300 baud modem.

Tomorrow I go back to the dermatologist. I've already gotten half a dozen text messages reminding me to wear a mask. I imagine that they'll do something, since my face hasn't completely cleared up. Will the doctor cut me or give me another liquid nitrogen treatment? Will I even have time to walk Dawn and finish my breakfast smoothie before my appointment? When you are used to doing nothing, even having one thing to do can seem complex.

Hershey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2654

I miss having a favorite restaurant. The days of having exactly the same thing every Friday morning for almost three years in a row are gone. I drift from place to place now, trying something different every time. Occasionally, I think I've found a new home, but I've had trouble staying loyal for more than a month at a time. Nobody seems to make things the way I like any more. The eggs are either too runny or too hard. The pancakes are too thick. And the bacon is too flat and crispy. I'm not trying to expand my horizons or be adventurous. All I want is a place where I can enjoy eating the same thing over and over again. Maybe this is impossible now. I've noticed that there is a lot of turnover in the restaurant business. Every time someone gets a new chef, the recipes change a bit.

Absolute consistency is my holy grail. When I walk Dash in the morning, I find it strangely comforting to see certain cars in the neighborhood leave for work at exactly the same time every morning. When we pass the tennis court on our walk, there is very often a brown pickup truck that turns a corner and passes us. On Friday morning, the garbage truck typically arrives exactly when I leave the park and head down my street toward home. Often people I don't know wave as I pass by. We've been repeating these patterns for a long, long time. The clockwork precision of repeating events makes me feel oddly connected. I'm sure a lot of random stuff happens as I walk by, but I only notice the consistencies.

I got the telephoto lens I've had my eye on for the past month or so. This is a great lens, but it kind of bothers me that many modern lenses no longer have an aperture ring on the barrel of the lens. A lot of them don't have a focus or depth of field scale either. You can still change the f-stop within the camera, but I'd still like to be able to use a lens completely manually. I guess I've got to keep up with the times. I'll have to admit that these new lenses are much better optically than the ones I used to use with my old Nikon F. Who knows. Maybe you'll see some better bird pictures in the days ahead.

I wrote another letter to my sister today. I'm definitely not keeping up with the times with her. I wish more people would revert to quaint old fashioned things like hand written letters. I guess I'd like it if doctors still made house calls and kids still liked electric trains too, but hand written letters are a start.

I tried to catch up on odds and ends this afternoon. I called the roofer again and made an appointment for the landscaper to come out and take a look at our back yard. Dot did pretty well today, although it was to hot to walk her during the day. The days are getting longer, so we can wait until after dinner now. All in all, it was a good day.

The skies are clear, but I'm too tired to go out and look at the stars. There's supposed to be a comet that will be visible through binoculars in the pre-dawn sky this weekend, but I bet I'll be preoccupied trying to keep Dot from peeing on the floor. We'll see.

Smiley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2650

The restaurant I visited this morning was really old school. People were reading newspapers instead of looking at their phones. I didn't see a single phone in use in the entire restaurant. It was odd to see so many newspapers. I must admit that I haven't read the paper myself for several years. The food was good at this old fashioned place, but the portions were huge. I felt vaguely guilty that I couldn't finish my meal. I grew up with a mother who made me eat everything on my plate and I've religiously cleaned my plate ever since.

I actually struck up a conversation will a fellow diner, which was probably rarer than seeing a newspaper. The guy was wearing a t-shirt that said "the Falcon has landed" with a picture of the Space X Falcon 9 rocket. I was enough of a space nerd to realize that this was a play on words, referring to Neil Armstrong's famous phrase "the Eagle has landed" when Apollo 11 touched down on the moon. I asked the guy if he worked at Space X and he said "I wish." We talked for a while about NASA, the moon, Elon Musk, and our fascination with space flight. The guy asked me whether I collected space memorabilia.  I told him no, but that I did stay up late last night to watch the Space X Echostar launch.

Dot had her monthly cancer recheck this afternoon. She rides so much better in the car now that Janet has started going with us to the exams. Janet sits in the back of the car with Dot and is able to calm her when she gets frantic and has a panic attack. Dot was actually calm enough when we arrived at the cancer center today that the nurse was able to get a decent blood pressure reading for a change.

The good news is that the growth of the tumors in Dot's liver has slowed. Each mass only grew about one millimeter this time. She still has four tumors, but no new ones have appeared. The oncologist seemed pleased that Dot was responding well to the pain medication and said her condition was more or less stable. She still wants us to come back every month for an ultrasound scan though. One of the tumors is large enough that it could become a problem at any time. Greta, one of our earlier Dalmatians, also had liver cancer. I wish we had handled Greta's illness the same way we are doing now with Dot. Greta was old as well when we discovered her cancer and wasn't able to survive the surgery. She died at the hospital. It would have been better to just keep her comfortable at home during whatever remaining time she had.

I got a notice from AT&T today saying that my wireless bill was overdue. Jeez, I sent the guys a check over two weeks ago. AT&T gave me an extension until next Wednesday to see if the check shows up. Maybe it will and maybe it won't. How could it take two weeks to get a letter to Atlanta?  I have a feeling that it's finally time to give up on the US mail. The post office has lost things of mine before and I'm sure they will again. Janet pays all her bills online and has urged me to do the same many times. At least when you pay online, you know instantly if your payment went through. Unfortunately, I'm just about as old school as the restaurant I visited this morning. I like traditions like going to the post office and the bank. There is something nice about these traditions, just like writing letters on paper to my sister.

I hope Dot sleeps well tonight. We kind of had a rough night yesterday and neither of us got very much sleep. I remember cleaning up poop and throwing rugs in the washing machine at 3 AM. Hopefully tonight will be calmer. We could all use the rest.

Alison is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2439

I keep getting e-mail messages from companies trying to convince me to automate my house. Why? If I got one of those fancy WiFi door locks, it would only work a few months a year. The soil shifts a lot in Dallas and for much of the year doors and windows don't line up exactly, making them difficult to open. The front door is particularly difficult to open in August. It will be fine again in December. Elbow grease works fine for sticky doors. I'd be pretty irritated if I bought a WiFi door lock and had to wait until December for the deadbolt to line up perfectly with the door frame. I suppose I could turn the lights on and off with my phone, but I think the conveniently placed light switches on the wall are much easier to use than my balky WiFi network. I already have a WiFi thermostat that I can talk to. We seldom have conversations though. It's much easier to adjust the temperature manually on my way to the kitchen. My point is that all of these new automated home systems rely on your phone to function properly. I'm sorry to tell you this AT&T, but my phone is the least reliable piece of equipment in the house.

I paid a bunch of bills today and I feel poor again.  If I just had three or four new clients, I wouldn't have to deal with these monthly ups and downs. I think about this every month, but I'm not sure where the business is going to come from. Most of the marketing directors and brand managers I've worked with over the years have either retired or died. It's certainly not hopeless, but I think there's a better chance of me living on Mars than striking up a working relationship with the current batch of millennials who have taken my place in the ad industry. What I need to find are some really old people who think they need a website even though they actually don't.

The rainy weather continues. I haven't gotten sick of the rain yet, but that day is coming. If it's a rule that Dot only poops when I'm in the shower, it's a corollary to that rule that it starts to rain whenever I have to run an errand. For the past three days, it has started to rain as soon as I backed the car out of the driveway. It could be worse though. I'm dry in the car. What I really hate is when it starts to rain when I'm about a mile away from home walking Dash.

I'm having e-mail problems again. Messages are sent, but they are not received. I've almost concluded that it isn't worth the trouble to resolve these problems. They are usually temporary and they seldom have a plausible explanation. Even tech support sometimes says, "Just try it again in a few minutes." The first ten years I was online, I seldom had any problems. I miss those days. Dial-up modems and renting VHS movies at Blockbuster were just fine by me. I miss my old analog OKI 900 phone too. Those were the days.

Dot didn't have any accidents in the house today. Of course the day isn't over yet. I remembered to take the trash out to the curb too. Even though it was wet and rainy, it wasn't a bad day at all.

Lucy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2106

How many electricians does it take to change a light bulb? In my case, it takes three. There is a boss electrician to tell the other two what to do. There is the guy who climbs up the ladder and actually does the work. And there is the guy who walks back and forth to the truck to bring tools to the guy on the ladder. This is one of the reasons why electricians are so expensive. Plumbers are kind of the same way. Every time I call a plumber to do something simple like clean out a drain, they send out two plumbers.

Does it really require three electricians to change a security light? I doubt it. I'll still uses these guys again though. I like to support small, local businesses. There aren't enough of them left. If more people followed this inefficient, old school business model, there would still be plenty of jobs for everyone. Ruthless efficiency is what has killed the job market. I used to have assistants for what I do as well. Did I really need an assistant? Of course not, but this was how people learned their trade.

Maybe the security light was too expensive, but it's bright and works great. Now I won't have to worry about stepping in poop when I take the dogs out at night. The irritating flickering is gone too. The head electrician told me that the only thing wrong with my old light is that the ballast was bad. I suspected as much. Nevertheless, it was less expensive to replace the entire light than it would have been to take the old one apart and repair it. That's what we've come to. Almost everything is disposable.

My car isn't disposable, so I'll have to take it in for service to get rid of the irritating suspension squeak I've been hearing lately. Land Rover has become so computerized that they are almost the exact opposite of my old fashioned electrician. It's hard to actually talk to a real person anymore. Although it's much easier to make a service reservation online, I still prefer talking to the service representative myself. I finally managed to get someone on the phone this afternoon and made a service appointment. "When my car goes over a bump," I told the service guy, "I hear a high pitched noise that sounds exactly like a dog's squeaky toy." "I've heard that noise," the service guy said. "Bring the car in." If experience is any guide, this will turn out to be a very expensive squeak, but at least the car is still under warranty.

I woke up this morning to discover that Dot had pooped in the hallway. I must have been tired last night, because I didn't hear a thing. Luckily, I'm getting better at anticipating these things. She pooped on a strategically placed rubberized mat that is very easy to clean. Even though she had already done her business, Dot still enjoyed her morning walk. We are all learning to take these accidents in stride. I do worry that the washing machine is going to break again. It's been getting a lot of use lately.

It's been a fairly productive Monday. The light in the back yard is fixed. I've picked up Dash's prescriptions at the vet. The squeak in my car will soon be gone. I've updated two of my client's websites and finally paid the last of my September bills without becoming overdrawn. In my book, that's pretty good for a Monday.

Rover is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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