Day 3364

Today was interesting. Actually it was pretty amazing. I got to sit inside an Orion capsule that will be taking four astronauts back to the moon. I got to drive a moon buggy simulator used to train a new generation of astronauts. I got to experience a very realistic virtual reality spacewalk around a space station that will someday orbit the moon. An active duty astronaut explained how a special low gravity simulator was being used to train people to walk and work on Mars. A NASA geologist showed us rocks that Neil Armstrong collected on the moon. This all happened at the Johnson Space Center in Houston where I and several other lucky people were the guests of NASA for the day.

I'm really glad I was able to accept the invitation to get a briefing on NASA's plans to return to the moon and beyond. It was weird to see the last remaining Saturn 5 at Rocket Park and realize that it's been fifty years since anyone was serious about returning to the moon. It looks like the day has finally arrived. I was amazed at how far the planning has come in recent years. The work going on at Johnson Space Center is very impressive

I haven't traveled in a while, so this seemed like a really long day. I got up early, flew to Houston, spent the day at the Johnson Space Center, and then returned to Dallas this evening. A lot has changed since my last travels. Everything is done using your phone now. I booked my flight on my phone. My boarding pass was displayed on my phone. There was even a coupon for a free drink on my phone.

No more waiting for taxis either. I found an Uber driver to take me to and from the space center using my phone. It was all easy and surprisingly affordable. Even tips were handled electronically using the phone. It's weird how quickly all this has changed. Probably the next time I take a trip, there will be self driving cars.

I was going to get something to eat at the airport, but I ran out of time. I didn't anticipate how much rush hour traffic and long lines can slow things down. I didn't miss my flights, but I came pretty close.   I should go without eating more often. It's probably the only way I'm ever going to lose weight.

Janet said that Dash did fine while I was away. I hope he was glad to see me again. It was good to get away for a little while, but I'm not all that eager to rejoin a world of traffic jams and long lines. It's easy to forget just how busy the world really is when you're not rushing to get your shoes back on before your plane boards after a lengthy TSA check at the airport. A world of slow walks with your dog in the park is much more relaxing. Tomorrow, it will be back to drinking fruit smoothies and cleaning up dog poop, but today was pretty special. Thanks for a great day NASA.

Tyson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1674

Someone has been sprinkling ground up bits of broken glass along several of the paths in the park. I don't know if this is to cause passing bicycles to have flats, or an effort to hurt animal paws, but it is definitely malicious. One more thing to look out for every morning. This city is wearing me down. Daydreaming is one of my favorite things, but it's just not as easy to absentmindedly daydream during our walks anymore. There's always something to look out for.

Dot worried me today. She was very slow and a bit stiff on our walk this morning. You could tell she wanted to walk, but just didn't have the energy. She went to sleep as soon as we returned home, but even her sleep wasn't restful. She kept changing position and groaning occasionally as if something was bothering her. There were no visible injuries. She was breathing completely normally. And she didn't appear under any stress. She just seemed tired. I'll ask the vet to check for any hidden warning signs, but I think she's just getting old. I know how she feels. It doesn't take much to wear me out either.

We don't get much mail anymore. I used to always look forward to getting the mail everyday, but the steady stream of magazines, circulars, and catalogs has almost come to a standstill. I think the battle for shoppers hearts and minds is over and that Amazon has won. Practically the only thing I get in the mail these days are bills to pay. Even the bills come with admonitions and enticements to get me to switch to online payments. Switch to online payments and we'll give you a $25 Starbucks card they say. No thanks for now. I still like printed statements. I prefer reading a book to looking at the same thing on a Kindle. I'd still rather read a magazine than visit a website. My days are numbered though. I've become a dinosaur.

A few more observations about my day at the courthouse yesterday. I think you can divide people into two categories. There are the ones who check their e-mail and texts obsessively. And there are the others who play Candy Crush Saga obsessively. I hate waiting and paced up and down the courthouse halls all day while the lawyers were deciding what to do with us. I was virtually the only person walking around though. Most people were just sitting on a bench and staring at their phones. They couldn't leave them alone for five minutes. It's kind of sad. I suspect the smart phone has already had an even larger impact on society than the automobile. For the Millennials, the phone has actually replaced the automobile as the iconic object of their generation.

Even though Dot was tired today, we still took both dogs to training class tonight. Dot spent most of the evening sitting in the grass with Janet, while Dash and I went through the exercises. Dot was happy. She doesn't like to be left out and there is no reason to leave her out of anything. We'll all just slow down a bit and let her enjoy her remaining days

Laura is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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