Day 4048

Today was busier than usual. I can't say that I accomplished a lot though. When I woke up, Janet had gone running and Dawn was nervously peering around the corner of the bedroom door at me. As soon as I got up, she hopped on the bed and reclaimed it for herself. It's unfortunate that she still doesn't feel comfortable being alone in the house with me, because that's how we spend most of our time together. Janet has always spent more time away from the house than I do. Eventually, I made the bed with Dawn sitting right in the middle. I've actually gotten pretty good at this. Dawn is often on the bed when I'm trying to make it.

Before getting started on my Saturday errands, I wrote a letter to my sister and took it to the post office. This periodic letter to a Luddite relative is the only reason I have to go to the post office anymore. It's the end of an era. I've spent a lot of time at the post office over the years. On my way to the grocery store, I stopped at my pharmacy to ask when they were going to get the vaccine. My pharmacist had no idea. He said that the website I'd signed up on was only to receive information about when the vaccine might become available. It was not a sign-up sheet to get vaccinated.

I found everything except for raspberries on my grocery list. I had to go to a second store to get the berries and ended up buying some tasty looking items at the deli counter for dinner. I also stopped at Fry's to get a nickel metal hydride backup battery for an audio recorder. I thought that this hard to replace battery was the reason that the time and date settings wouldn't stay in the recorder's memory. I had to disassemble the recorder to access the rechargeable battery, but it turned out that this wasn't the problem after all. The recorder's main battery had gone bad.  

After lunch we took Dawn on her one mile walk. She loves the one mile walk but definitely doesn't want to go any further. I continued to walk after Dawn and Janet returned to the house. That's what I do these days. I thought it might rain, so I wore the new raincoat I got for the last launch I attended in Florida.  The raincoat was a tight fit over my winter coat. I guess I should have gotten a larger size. Maybe it will just be a summer raincoat. It fits perfectly over a t-shirt.

I seldom get over 20,000 steps on a single walk, but I did today. With Dawn's new schedule it's more convenient to take one longer walk than the morning and evening walks I used to take. Hey, I'm flexible, even if I continue to do the same things over and over again. My new shoes are still comfortable, but they are already starting to show some wear. Expensive running shoes are a new thing for me, but they are much more comfortable than the longer lasting leather hiking boots I used to wear outdoors. I guess since all I do these days is walk, the cost of these shoes isn't exorbitant at all. It makes more sense to spend money on something I use every day than on audio recorders that sit on a shelf until all the batteries go bad.

There are severe thunderstorms in the forecast for tomorrow. I'm never happy about the prospect of thunderstorms. I have too many memories of leaking roofs and falling trees in the backyard to appreciate this type of weather. I don't think the bad weather is going to start until sometime in the afternoon. Tomorrow's project for the day is to convince Dawn to walk in the morning.

Chloe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3930

Dawn may have brain damage, but I still think she's a very smart dog. When we walk in the morning, she tells us exactly how far she wants to go. When she's decided she's gone far enough, she just sits down. I'll ask her if she's ready to go home and she'll immediately get up, turn around and head for the house. She did this yesterday and she did the same thing today. We went about 400 yards further today, so maybe she's feeling a little better.

The meds appear to be working. Dawn's temperature is back to normal now and she is eating normally again. She is still quiet and doesn't have a lot of energy. I'm almost certain that even though the fever is gone she still isn't feeling normally. The meds probably sedate her a bit and whatever caused the problem in the first place is still there. I've been reading a lot about brain lesions and if this is the problem it would explain a lot. There have always been a lot of little things that just didn't make sense about Dawn's behavior. I'm mostly just thinking about what happens in a human brain, but any sort of physical abnormality can cause a lot of changes. I'm still hoping that her problems are minor and that life will return to normal in a few weeks. For the moment, all we can do is wait and see.

Dawn's walks are so short now that I've returned to taking long walks by myself to get my exercise. Today I kept thinking that I really should just return to the gym. Janet has been going to her gym for over a month and has had no problems. My seasonal allergies have returned with a vengeance and at some point a continual runny nose and itchy eyes is going to seem a lot worse than the threat of Covid. My allergies were especially bad today. My the time I returned home I was miserable. I used up all the tissues I took with me before I'd even finished my first mile.

It's too bad I have this fear of catching the virus on a plane. The multiple delays that have taken place with the Delta IV Heavy have pushed three launches very close together. If there aren't further delays caused by weather, all three rockets may launch within hours of each other. This is quite rare. Delays aren't rare at all however, so everything could change again tomorrow. If all three launches do end up taking place together it would tempt me again to make the trip to Florida. A lot would depend on how Dawn was feeling once her meds wear off. Flying with seasonal allergies is probably not a great idea either. I might get kicked off the plane for sneezing a lot.

I read an ad about running shoes today that sounded just about perfect for my difficult to fit feet. I was just about ready to go out and buy a pair until I started reading the online reviews. Customers generally weren't happy. I should have learned by now not to believe advertising. I'm an advertising writer. I've spent decades perfecting the art of making things seem better than they actually are. Sadly, I'm still looking for the perfect shoe. The Nike Air Max shoes I bought recently are already starting to wear out and my feet still hurt after long walks.

This weekend certainly wasn't what I expected. A sudden illness can change everything. Hopefully Dawn will continue to improve. We knew that she wasn't a young dog when we adopted her, but she definitely deserves a few more happy, pain free years. I guess we all do.

Sophie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3794

When a solitary person like myself starts getting cabin fever, things must be getting bad. I guess I spend more time shopping and going to restaurants than I realized because I'm really getting the urge to buy something I don't need. I look forward to our long walks with Dawn every morning, but my reaction when we return home is usually "Now what?"

It's a shame I won't be able to go to Kennedy Space Center for the Crew Dragon launch. This would be the time when I would be making reservations and actively planning for the trip. I've got some new lenses I'd like to try at the launch. There was a magazine interested in having me do a story. Watching the launch on NASA TV just isn't going to be the same.

It's probably going to rain tomorrow since I went up on the roof this afternoon and cleared away the remaining water from the last rain. One of the pumps doesn't seem to be working well anymore. I don't know what to do other than buy a new pump. I've burned through quite a few pumps over the years. The first pumps were made of metal and were tough as nails. I had one that lasted for over fifteen years. The quality seems to gradually deteriorate on each new generation of pumps. I'm sure these new ones are made in China.

Many stores are open again in Dallas. Janet got some new running shoes today. She asked whether I wanted to come along but I was having a bad allergy day and didn't want to sneeze in the store. I do need new shoes though. Shoes don't last that long when you are walking 20,000 steps a day.

How long can the coronavirus continue to be the only topic of conversation nationwide? I think people are already starting to experience disease fatigue. The longer society is disrupted, the more people will start demanding a return to normal. Clearly a plague isn't normal, but neither is locking down an entire country. This can't be sustained indefinitely. I may be wrong, but I predict that if a cure isn't developed in a reasonable amount of time, we will simply stop talking about the dead. As a society we have a remarkable ability to sweep almost anything under the rug.

It's a shame that a health crisis is being politicized, but eventually everything is politicized in this country. The election in November is going to be all about the virus. Pick a side. If you think there is nothing more important than human life, you may change your mind if you are dead broke and without a job in November. If you think it is absolutely essential for society to return to normal, you may change your mind if a loved one becomes sick.

Almost every day I see well known local restaurants announce that they are shutting their doors for good. It's sad to see how unfair the lockdown had been. Home Depot and Lowes have never done better. Their business is thriving. Local businesses a block aways from these stores are dead. They will never return. Who decided which businesses would get to stay open? Clearly safety wasn't the primary factor. Every time I've been to Home Depot lately, the store has been packed. Stores that were designated as "essential" are actually doing more business now than they were before the pandemic. This just seems all wrong to me. I don't like seeing politicians picking winners and losers.

I've taken the week's trash to the curb and there is no more fresh fruit in the refrigerator. This always marks the end of the week for me. Tomorrow I will make myself an omelette and watch politicians argue with each other on TV while I drink my morning coffee. We'll take Dawn on a nice long walk and then I'll wish I had another computer to fix. It's going to be a long, long summer.

Lady is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3419

The goal these days is to keep moving. I went to the gym much earlier than usual. The place was surprisingly busy. Who knew that so many people liked to exercise early on a Sunday morning. I did my usual workout fully intending to take a nap when I got home. It wasn't meant to be. It was such a nice day that I decided to go ahead and take my usual three mile walk anyway. I really need to find something I enjoy doing or I'll be walking all day by the end of the Summer.

I keep waiting for something to find me. Today it was an auto show. I'd completely forgotten about this annual British and European Car Show. It is often held during the Spring in the park when the weather is nice. I used to go frequently when I had a cool car myself, but I haven't been in years. There is was today, right in front of me on my regular path. I enjoy looking at cars, so this was an unexpected treat.

I ended up talking with the owner of a Noble M400. I'd never seen one of these cars in person before. Only about 200 of them were ever imported into the United States. I remember a review once that said "Don't buy this car to impress girls. Only guys are impressed." The car certainly impressed me. The spectacular mid-engined supercar was lighter than a Mazda Miata and faster than a Ferrari Enzo. The owner was only 22 years old. Somebody asked the guy how much it cost to insure a car like this. "Nobody will insure this thing," the owner said. "I had to get my Dad to put it on his homeowners insurance." Then he smiled and added, "Technically, I'm not allowed to drive it."

There were no French cars at this years event. I used to enjoy looking at well preserved Citroëns. I've owned several, including a beautiful silver 1972 Citroën Maserati. I had to sell the car when I ran out of mechanics who could work on it. Body parts were in extremely short supply as well. As the car got older and older I began to realize that keeping a rare old car on the road was a rich man's pursuit. Buying vintage cars is one thing. Restoring them and keeping them running is another thing altogether.

My Fitbit was impressed with me today. I can't say the same for my feet. I shouldn't have changed shoes when I went walking in the park. My feet had swollen and the boots didn't fit like they usually do. By the time I returned home, I could barely walk. I have some excellent shoes I wear when I'm at the gym. I don't like to get them muddy though, so I changed into a pair of boots before I went on my walk. Bad move. I guess I'll know better the next time I do something foolish like this.

I probably should have gone outside and looked for meteors last night. I woke up to go to the bathroom right about the time when the Eta Aquariid meteor shower was supposed to be at its peak. I thought briefly about going outside and then went back to bed. I've seen meteors before. A short little trail of light across the sky wasn't enough of a temptation to lose any sleep over.

Bunny is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2050

I actually got out of the house today. I took a couple of Janet's watches up to my watchmaker to get the batteries changed. She had stopped by the Omega store in the mall over the weekend and they wanted an insane amount of money to change a battery. The amount was so high that it was almost as if they were telling her, "We just want to sell you overpriced new stuff. When it breaks, we don't ever want to see it again." I told Janet that I knew a guy who was still reasonable and fair. I enjoy talking with the watch repairman. We are both relics from a bygone era. We talk about fast cars, fine watches, and the futility of running a small business in today's world. I don't see the watchmaker much anymore. I can't afford to collect watches anymore. I can't even afford to keep them all running anymore. I was pleased when the watchmaker told me that the new mobile website I'd built for him was actually helping his business. Evidently, people really do use their phones to visit websites these days. Who knew? I just use my phone to check the weather.

I also fixed Janet's running shoes today. She was ready to throw a pair of somewhat new looking Nike's away when I told her that I just glue mine back together. The soles never seem to wear out on running shoes. They just fall apart first. The glue that seems to substitute for any type of legitimate stitching begins to delaminate fairly quickly. I discovered one day that I could just use Superglue to re-attach the soles to the upper portion of these shoes and they were good as new. I just use an old Jorgensen clamp from my Dad's workshop to bind the sole to the shoe while the glue is drying and thirty minutes later they're ready to wear again. After fixing the shoes and getting the watch batteries replaced, I felt like I'd had a reasonably productive day, even though I'd done no design or writing at all.

All the dogs seem to want to do these days is eat. I try to be very quiet when I'm snacking in the kitchen, but they always seem to hear me and come racing out for a treat of their own. This is problematic now, because Dot can't get to the kitchen as fast as Dash anymore and she gets mad. To make the small journey from one end of the house to the other, I need to hook her up in her special harness and support her rear legs in case she starts to fall. This involved procedure kind of takes the fun out of eating a few Fritos in the kitchen. I shouldn't be eating these high cholesterol salty snacks anyway, but I'm kind of like the dogs. What else are you going to do on a hot Summer day?

I discovered a quick and fairly easy way to update the new Dalmatian Rescue website, so that's one more thing I don't have to worry about. I was a bit apprehensive about converting an animal rescue website to a mobile friendly format, because these sites change so frequently. I'm so used to making these periodic updates using Dreamweaver that I wasn't looking forward to changing the complex code required in a responsive site. The whole process wasn't as hard as I thought, so maybe this old dog still has a few tricks left after all.

While I was driving up to the watchmaker's office today I listened to someone on NPR talk about different things you could do to keep memories from fading away as you age. Supposedly, a seventy year old person only retains half as much new information as a child. Makes sense to me. I was like a sponge when I was younger, soaking up an enormous amount of information every day. Now I can barely remember where I put my reading glasses. Luckily, writing seems to be one of the best ways to ward off senility. If there are bonus points for developing an ability to write about nothing at all, I should be good to go for a long time.

Deuce is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1839

When I was cleaning the bird droppings off the car this morning, I inadvertently rammed my head into the edge of an open car door. I was on my way to the gym, but I had to wait about twenty minutes until the bleeding quit. The last thing I wanted to do was answer a bunch of questions from total strangers about why there was a big bandage on my forehead. Luckily, my blood clots quickly. I fed the dogs a couple of extra dog treats while I was waiting and then I was on my way.

The TED talk on the car radio today was about memory. Evidently most of us are very selective about our memories and forget the vast majority of what happens to us each day. I probably forget more than most of you. The guy on the TED stage was explaining how we can train our memories to remember much more, but I'm not sure I'd want to do that. I'm convinced that my lack of memory has been responsible for much of my success in life. I reinvent the wheel continually, since I have very few formulas stored away. I am able to do routine things over and over again without getting bored, because it all seems new to me. I'm convinced that thinking of new and original solutions to everyday problems keeps the brain a lot more agile than simply pulling a tried and true solution out of your memory bank. Advertising would have driven me insane decades ago if I remembered every ad I ever did.

The Nike running shoes I wear to the gym are wearing out, so I thought I'd pick up a new pair while I was out and about today. Good lord! How do you rationally select a pair of running shoes these days? There are literally thousands of styles, colors and prices to choose from. Each model seems purpose built for something or other, but without trying on dozens and dozens of shoes, I didn't have a clue which I would like best. I didn't like the new featherweight styles that looked like they'd fall apart in three weeks. I didn't like all the neon colors or high-top basketball styles either. I finally found something that looked more or less like my old shoes and bought a pair. I probably need to start looking for some new dog walking boots too. My sturdy waterproof Redwing boots aren't waterproof anymore. They just don't make shoes like they used to.

It's hard to believe that it will be 2015 in just a few days. It seems like yesterday when Janet and I opened a bottle of champagne to welcome a new millennium on December 31, 1999. Everyone was worried about the Y2K bug and the year 2000 sounded very futuristic. Oddly, not much has changed in fifteen years.

I've got an early morning physical therapy session scheduled for tomorrow. It seems all wrong to have physical therapy before breakfast, but it can't be helped. This is just a weird holiday scheduling anomaly. Pretty soon it will be 2015 and everything will be back to normal.

Lou is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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