Day 4119 - Easter

The picture is old, but I still like it. Dot was a great dog. She was a patient soul who let us dress her up in all manner of ridiculous costumes. I doubt that Dawn would wear bunny ears. They would just be one more thing to be scared of. We wanted Dawn to have a nice Easter, so we drove her to another park this morning where we knew she would have new things to explore. Dawn really enjoys these outings even though she's not fond of riding in the car.

We had a relaxed and very enjoyable Easter. Janet went to church yesterday to avoid the crowds and today was just a low-key day around the house. Dawn was in a good mood today and took two walks. We were impressed. After we took her to a new park in the car, she did her familiar one mile loop later in the day. The park was busy, but it wasn't nearly as crowded as in previous years. Covid has changed everything.

Janet joined me on my long walk today. A walk is always a good time to talk and catch up on things. I managed to keep up a pretty decent pace and my foot didn't give me any major problems. Although it was overcast today, the weather was mild and I didn't need a coat. We've lived in this area for a long time and it's weird how much the neighborhood has changed. Even the park has changed quite a bit. It was largely undeveloped when we moved here. I think I liked it better then. At some point the city passed a huge bond issue with the money designated to go toward improving the park. Over time the area became a popular destination for people all over North Texas. They come to birdwatch, to hike, to cycle, to kayak and sail, and to have picnics and barbecues. It's really a wonderful park now, but I still liked it better when it was wild and undiscovered.

By mid afternoon the house began to be filled with the smells of a delicious meal being cooked. While Janet was cooking, I tried to clean up the yard. There are still lots of leaves trapped under the dying ground cover in the back yard. We haven't tried to rake this area because it would pull up the remaining Asian Jasmine that managed to survive the big freeze. I thought I'd try to blow these leaves away with a leaf blower. I was partially successful. I removed a lot of leaves, but unfortunately the entire area doesn't look any better. It's going to take a long time for this part of the yard to recover.

After I gave up on yard work, I practiced processing some of last October's astrophotography images in Photoshop. I watch a lot of YouTube videos and bookmark tutorial sites. I continue to learn and the results are beginning to show it. I'm getting better at this odd and often difficult avocation. I walk to keep my body active and I write and keep learning to keep my brain active. I may be wrong, but I'm convinced that staying active like this is the best way to avoid dementia and maybe even Alzheimer's. I've seen way too many people my age begin to decline the minute they give up and quit learning.

Our Easter dinner was delicious. The small batch meat company that hand smokes the hams I get every Easter is amazing. This stuff is addictive and surprisingly easy to cook. Janet made candied yams with marshmallows on top and green beans with bacon and peppers. We topped everything off with a cherry pie for dessert and we are both pleasantly stuffed.

It looks like I'll have some tasty leftovers for the rest of the week. I hope Dawn continues walking. She did well today. She even came out of the bedroom and joined us at dinner for a while. Easter is supposed to be a hopeful time and today felt good. I'm not typically an optimistic person, but today I'm more than willing to give it a try.

Dottie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4116

The furnace wasn't working when I woke up this morning. Damn. This always seems to happen during the very last days of winter when you don't think you are going to need the furnace anymore. I wasn't looking forward to taking the unit apart to clean the flame sensor again. The flame sensor is almost always the problem. Before I went to all that trouble I gave the tried and true method for fixing anything electrical a try. I unplugged the furnace, waited thirty seconds, and then plugged it in again. I also reset the thermostat for good measure. Amazingly, this worked. The furnace fired up and roared into life. The flame sensor probably is dirty, but with any luck I won't need to deal with it until next Fall.

I managed to find a nice little smoked ham today. I don't know why I thought there was going to be a run on Easter hams. When I went to the smokehouse, I was the only person in the store. There were even several small hams to choose from. I was surprised. Did Covid change something? In previous years I've had a terrible time finding a good smoked ham this close to Easter. 

I received a message from the Air Force, or I guess it is the Space Force now, saying that my press credentials have been reinstated for another year. Yay. I'm good to go for 2021. The message seemed to imply that the Air Force wasn't working as closely with NASA anymore. My credentials might only be. good for military launches. That's OK with me. I think the Space Force will be launching a Falcon Heavy later this year. A Falcon Heavy launch is always spectacular because both side boosters return to the Cape to land.

I wasn't expecting much on my walk today. When I woke up this morning I felt like a cripple. My left foot hurt. My right knee felt stiff. My hip felt sore and my shoulder still felt loose. Oddly, walking seemed to help loosen up these aching joints. I certainly didn't set any records today, but I completed five miles in a little more than an hour and a half. That's slow, but it will have to do for now.

I began to familiarize myself with the new star tracker this afternoon. The unit is sturdy and seems to be extremely well made. I don't think it is going to be easy to use unfortunately. A star tracker is basically a small German equatorial mount that holds a camera instead of a telescope. A motor slowly rotates the unit at 15 degrees per hour to counteract the rotation of the earth. You can take a lot longer exposures since the stars aren't moving from the camera's perspective. Like most telescope mounts, you have to assemble and balance the tracker in the field. There are several little adjustment screws that will fall off and get lost if you loosen them too much. You also have to align everything very exactly with Polaris. I know how to do all this in theory, but it's harder to do in the dark. Have I mentioned that I am very clumsy.

My Fitbit isn't tracking my sleep anymore. Maybe it's getting old and needs to be replaced. I always liked the sleep tracking capability. I have no idea whether it is accurate or even produces meaningful results, but I like to look at it in the morning and discover that I slept better than I thought I did. About half the time it does the opposite and shows me that I didn't sleep well at all. I probably don't need a Fitbit to tell me that I'm not sleeping well. My weird dreams tell me all I need to know.

Yesterday I got an e-mail from the Dallas arboretum asking me to review them on Facebook. A few minutes ago I got an e-mail from the smoked meat company where I got the ham, asking for a review on Facebook. The appliance repair company asked for a review after they fixed my washing machine a few weeks ago. Does everybody do this now? Couldn't we just go back to word of mouth? A world addicted to social media feedback is not a good thing.

Haley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4113

Somebody bought Charlie and Cooper a yellow football with a squeaker inside and it was their new favorite toy this week. We discovered that both dogs would make pretty good wide receivers because you could toss them the football and they would catch it in the air surprisingly often. We met some new employees today. Like most Dallas businesses, the kennel seems to be slowly returning to normal. I'm glad they survived the pandemic.

When we returned home I went out and got a new pair of walking shorts. I was down to a single pair and I knew they wouldn't make it through the Summer.  Amazingly, I found some shorts that were exactly the same brand and style as the ones I bought three years ago. In theory, buying something that I didn't need to try on first should have saved me time. It didn't. There was only one person working at the checkout counters and the person ahead of me in line was trying to return something without a receipt. It took me forever to get out of the store, but I still like to support local business whenever I can.

Dawn did well on her first walk this morning, so we thought she'd enjoy a second walk after we returned from the kennel. Apparently not. We couldn't even get her down to the park. She froze in place and wouldn't go any further before we had even gone three hundred yards. Oh, well. At least she got a good walk this morning. Janet returned to the house with Dawn and I continued walking.

I wonder how long this nice Spring weather is going to continue? The weather has been almost perfect for over a week and there is no rain in the forecast. The pleasant weather is probably why I thought about getting shorts today. I've been wearing shorts and a t-shirt all week. Right now, the heat comes on when we wake up in the morning and then the air conditioner comes on later in the afternoon. I'd better enjoy this while it lasts. Pretty soon it's going to be way too hot.

I had a good walk this afternoon, even though I am still embarrassingly slow and every step reminds me that I'm almost 73 years old. I have so many aches and pains that I feel like an old rusty machine. I think things would be a lot worse if I didn't keep moving. Would I feel more fit if I moved even more? I guess I'll never know unless I return to the gym. When am I going to find the time though? I'm so slow that a few chores and a long walk fills my entire day.

I'm surprised that I still haven't heard from NASA or the Air Force about the launches I've applied to attend in April. Jeez. It's almost April. I hate to make plans at the last minute. I haven't heard anything from the magazine I write for either. It's starting to feel like everyone has forgotten about me. I'm torn between wanting a full schedule and the realization that I could never afford a full schedule anyway. I do get published, but the magazine never pays for my expenses when I travel. Does this just make my space journalism quest an expensive hobby? Who knows. 

I'm thinking about getting a smoked ham for Easter again. Janet thinks about the true meaning of Easter, but I usually just think about smoked ham. I'd better go look for something tomorrow. It may be too late already.

Elliott is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3982

My American made 3M N-95 masks arrived today. These are definitely a step above what you can find at the grocery store. The masks arrived a little late for my trip to Kennedy Space Center, but I will use them when Dalmatian Rescue does Santa Paws Christmas Pictures. It's hard to believe it's that time of year again, but it is. We're only doing pictures at a single venue this year. This one is large enough where we can do everything safely. That's fine by me. One day of pet photography is enough. Every December I keep saying that I'm getting too old for this. The show must go on however. It's been a tough year for fundraising and the Dalmatians still need to eat. I hope we do well.

I'm beginning to think that I got bitten by fire ants instead of mosquitoes while I was watching the Crew-1 launch. These bites are starting to look and feel suspiciously like fire ant bites. I've been bitten by fire ants before and they make hard little welts that itch intensely. Also, fire ants are everywhere in Florida. Maybe this is why I got bitten even though I sprayed myself liberally with mosquito repellant. I forget how long it takes for these things to go away, but it can't be soon enough.

I finished my story for the magazine this afternoon and will start sorting through the pictures tomorrow. I will easily meet the new deadline and then will eagerly await publication. This will be the fifth article I've gotten published since I decided to reinvent myself as a space and astronomy journalist. The whole process has been very rewarding. It's nice to know that you can do something new at any age. I'm glad I didn't start out as a space journalist and then decide to get into advertising after I retired. That wouldn't have worked at all.

I wish I could get a mulligan on that one day I missed my Fitbit goal in Florida. It hardly seems fair. Now I have to start all over again and it's going to take a long time to beat my 422 day record. Oh, well. I was just too busy to take a long walk on launch day. This obsession I have with continuity is why I continue to write the blog even though very few people are reading anymore. After 3982 days, you can't just stop. 4000 days is easily within reach and I may live long enough to reach my 5000 day goal after all. Sometimes I get a little jealous when I see a picture of a puppy that has hundreds and hundreds of likes while I only have about ten readers, but I need to remind myself that I'm doing this for me, not you.

We had another very nice walk with Dawn this morning. I still don't understand Dawn's behavior. She's very friendly with me in the morning. She comes up to me wagging her tail and can't wait for me to put on her harness so we can walk. Early in the day I can't detect any difference in the way she reacts to me and the way she reacts to Janet. As evening approaches she typically becomes wary and will often run away if I make any type of sudden movement. She does come out to the kitchen with me when I fix her dinner now. I guess this is progress. She wouldn't leave the bedroom without Janet a month ago.

I guess peaches are gone until next season, but I did get some more strawberries for tomorrow morning's smoothie. I also looked for a smoked ham for Thanksgiving. I guess we're going to eat at home this year. There is a small batch custom smokehouse in the neighborhood that prepares amazingly delicious smoked meats. They had several large hams available, but nothing small enough for two people. They told me to come back Friday. I'll give this a try, but I'll still miss going out to the Melrose for a Thanksgiving buffet.

I'm already getting invited to future launches by Space X and ULA. Unfortunately, I can't afford to travel very far for a while. I'll have to skip a few launches in the months ahead. I'm counting on there being something interesting on the horizon when my bank account recovers.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3641

I went looking for a Christmas ham this morning. The hams at the little smokehouse where I got last year's ham were ridiculously expensive and the hams at the supermarket were ridiculously cheap. I couldn't decide what to get, so I got nothing. I'll do what I always do in these situations. I'll let Janet decide. She's much better at this anyway.

SpaceFlight Magazine liked the pictures I sent and told me that they were going to postpone their Artemis articles until January because they wanted to expand their coverage of the program. The editor asked if I'd still like to write an article for the magazine. Sure. I'll get started next week. I'm kind of a compulsive writer, so I would have written something anyway. Now, it looks like my story will get published.

I learned that if I'd asked about a month ago, the magazine could also have gotten me a press pass for next Friday's Starliner launch. A little late now. I'll have to remember this in the future. I don't know why I was so convinced that I'd be selected as a NASA guest for this launch. As it turned out, they wanted me to go to New Orleans instead.

It's just as well I'm not going to Florida next week anyway. I forgot that my property taxes are due this month. December is alway full of expenses. At least I finished my Christmas shopping. It's all done on Amazon.com these days. Shopping online is so much easier than going to a shopping mall. No crowds. No parking hassles. And you don't even have to wrap the packages.

It was a beautiful day for a walk. The sky was clear and the air was brisk and cool. Too bad I didn't have more energy. I was really tired after I finished my requisite five miles. I'm starting to see familiar faces when I walk. There are other people who seem to do this every day as well. Most of the regulars are cyclists or joggers, but there are a few other slow walkers as well. It makes sense that a lot of people utilize this park. Walking outdoors is much more enjoyable than walking on a treadmill.

We're doing our last Santa Paws event of the year tomorrow. Dalmatian Rescue did well at the first two events, so hopefully we'll do just as well tomorrow. Five new Dalmatians entered our program recently, so we've definitely got some additional bills to pay. There photo event help. I have no idea how many pets we'll be photographing tomorrow, but I think I'm ready. The batteries are charged and all the equipment is ready to be loaded into the car. I just need to try and get a good night's sleep.

The wildflowers are gone. Most of the trees are bare. All I could find to photograph today was a lone Western Soapberry tree filled with poisonous fruit. The translucent berries look like clusters of grapes, but please don't eat them.

Cookie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3288 - Christmas

Christmas is a mishmash of fading memories. I vaguely remember going to Christmas Eve services with my parents. I was raised a Lutheran, but haven't been inside a church in years. At one point I was Joseph in the annual church production of the nativity story. That was embarrassing. When I was nine or ten, I remember getting a red rocket for Christmas that was powered by a mixture of baking soda and water. I would shoot the thing off on a vacant football practice field used by the Arkansas Razorbacks and it would travel hundreds of feet in the air before a little parachute brought it back to earth. I'm surprised that I remember all this, because many later celebrations have vanished from my memory.

I wonder if I celebrated Christmas at all when I lived in Seattle. I lived there six of seven years and don't remember a single Christmas. I must have done something although I'm pretty sure I never put up a tree. We visited Janet's relatives in Pennsylvania for a while. I remember a lot of snow. Christmas didn't seem like I was a kid again until we got a dog.

All dogs seem to love Christmas. Ours have always loved to unwrap squeaky toys and treats under the tree. They always seem to know which presents are for them. For many years we used to go to the kennel and walk the rescue Dalmatians at Christmas. Before their Christmas walk we would feed each dog a large boiled chicken breast. They loved their Christmas meal. Those memories are among the most vivid that remain.

Christmas is much quieter now. Dash is old and sleeps most of the time. He still enjoys a tasty treat though and he definitely got his share today. Our treat was a delicious Christmas dinner. The smoked ham was great. So were the candied sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and cherry pie.

It never rained today but there is still rain in the forecast. I'm hoping we can postpone the rain a little longer. The longer the silicon coating on the roof has to dry, the more likely it is to work. I bleached the stained ceilings today, so I will have an easier time seeing if the leak is starting to return. Let's hope the roofers did as good a job as the appliance repairman did. The dryer works like a charm now.

I found a few YouTube videos about repairing Aeron chairs this afternoon. The procedure seemed straightforward, so I thought I'd give it a try. Not so fast. I never got past step one. I was supposed to remove four large screws attaching the chair's seat to the frame so I could reach the mechanism under the seat that controlled the chair's height and tilt. The screws were so tight that I couldn't get them to budge. I also found out that the Herman Miller warranty still exists, but that it is only good for a maximum of twelve years. I've had this chair a lot longer than twelve years. It was one of the first things I bought when I started the company.

There's a lot of leftover ham in the refrigerator. That's fine with me. I love ham and cheese sandwiches. I guess this means that Christmas is over for another year. It's going to seem weird without all those Lifetime Christmas Movies on the TV. It was a quiet and enjoyable day. As an added bonus, I just discovered that if I put the office trash can under my chair, I can keep the back from tilting back. Hey, there's always a solution if you look hard enough.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3285

I found myself driving all over town today in search of a Christmas ham. When I went to my favorite smokehouse, the guy behind the counter gave me this look that clearly said "Dude, you should have ordered your ham three weeks ago." They told me they wouldn't have any more smoked hams available until after Christmas. I didn't want a grocery store ham and there weren't many places nearby that smoked their own meat. I finally went to a good barbecue restaurant and convinced them to sell me some smoked ham by the pound. They only wanted to sell me a whole ham, but it was huge and I knew it would take Janet and I a month to eat it. "I only need three pounds," I said. "Your customers will order the rest of this ham before you close today anyway." The restaurant was crowded with hungry people and the manager agreed. I got my ham.

I also got the roof fixed today. At least I hope I got the leak fixed. One of the guys on the crew showed me a place where it was pretty obvious that water was getting in. They made their repairs and drove away. We'll see what happens when the rain returns. I'm cautiously optimistic at this point. The weather will still be good tomorrow and the elastomer coating should have a full 48 hours to cure before the rainy weather returns.

I think I'm on good terms with the roofer again. He agreed that even under the best of conditions today's repairs were probably only temporary. Its' going to take some serious work to make this type of membrane roof completely reliable. Silicon definitely preforms well under standing water. That's good. Unfortunately silicon doesn't really stick to anything. That's why the material is often used to make molds to manufacture other products. If I've got a roof that won't stick to the rest of the house, I've got a big problem. It's probably time to forget about high-tech solutions and go back to a conventional roof.

Dash missed the puppy training pad last night, so I was back to going outside in the middle of the night, cleaning his blanket with a garden hose and then throwing it in the washing machine on the high temperature disinfect cycle. Dash moves around too much at night. It's almost impossible to keep these absorbent puppy training pads under his butt. I'm not giving up though. I went to the storage warehouse after breakfast and brought back a large carton of the pads that we used to use for Dot.

Dash got an early Christmas present today. Another box of Devon's Doggie Delights arrived in the mail. It always amazes me when someone manages to build a successful business just by selling to Facebook friends, but the lady who owns this company appears to have done it. Half the people we know with Dalmatians order from her regularly. Devon, not surprisingly is the owner's Dalmatian. Dash absolutely loves these treats. We always know when it's time to order more.

I wish Dash knew when it was time to pee and poop. I think that's too much to ask at this point unfortunately. A good day for Dash is when he is able to get up on his own and walk around for a while without falling over. I guess that's a good day for anyone who's growing older. If I don't fall over tomorrow, I'm going back to the gym. I definitely need some exercise before we eat our Christmas ham.

Two sisters are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3029

One thing leads to another when you've got too much time on your hands. Spending time last week trying to get an old MIDI keyboard controller to work has somehow rekindled my interest in music. I've been thinking about reassembling my songwriting studio. Some of the equipment is still sitting here in the office. Other stuff is gathering dust in the storage warehouse. Is this gear obsolete, or is it still usable? If it is usable, where would I put it? There isn't much space in the office anymore. It's easy to waste hours thinking about stuff like this. Today I reread an instruction manual for an old Yamaha synthesizer that has been sitting in a corner for years and still couldn't figure out how to use it. It didn't help that there wasn't a keyboard attached to the synthesizer anymore. Was this thing still useful? Who knows.

While I was trying to evaluate old music gear, I got a call from my friend in Kentucky who is going to help me liquidate one of my collections. This is my dilemma. I want to hang on to stuff and need to get rid of it at the same time. The logical part of my brain tells me that anything that has sat in a box for over five years really isn't necessary. The crazy part of my brain still thinks that everything in the storage warehouse will still come home again someday.

As I talked with my friend about the logistics of selling my collection, I realized that it wasn't going to be easy. Not a lot of people share my interests. There's no point in keeping a collection in cardboard boxes though. Especially if you've completely lost interest in collecting. I think the stuff will sell at my friend's store, but it might take a while. At any rate, I made a commitment to inventory everything and eventually say goodby to all the dusty boxes. It's time to start downsizing.

I think I've been eating smoked ham for too long. I'm starting to get heartburn again. This is frustrating, since I really thought I'd put my acid reflux problems behind me. I guess I could start taking Protonix again, but my doctors have warned me that taking a proton-pump inhibitor for an extended length of time is not a good idea. Probably a better idea would just be to start eating healthy, bland food again. I switched to a healthy, plant based diet when I was being treated for Hepatitis C and it took care of a host of problems. The only problem that remained was that I didn't really enjoy being a vegetarian. I've kind of slipped off the wagon now and am eating more red meat than I should.

Dash has his own diet issues. He's eating consistently again, but insists on boiled chicken breasts for breakfast now. He won't touch anything else. Today we tried to add some vegetables to his breakfast by adding peas to his chicken. Surprisingly, he ate the peas, but since he has trouble chewing, a lot of them fell out of his mouth. I've been finding little green peas all over the house today.

I saw a Red Tailed Hawk on our morning walk. I like these birds because they are loners like me. You never see a bunch of hawks sitting together on a telephone wire. Hawks usually hunt alone and other birds seem to defer to them. Mockingbirds, Blue Jays, and Starlings irritate me, but there is something noble about a hawk.

I hope I think of something useful to do tomorrow. Today was a waste. My brain is full of new information about MIDI keyboard controllers, but I still can't play the piano very well.

Apollo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3023

Dash is finally starting to stabilize. He's still weak, but his eyes are bright and he's showing an interest in his surroundings again. It's weird how vestibular disease works. Even severe episodes seem to subside over time. I'm sorry that Dash has to go through all this, but it would be much worse if lost his ability to bounce back.

We took it easy today while gently trying to reestablish some of our regular routines. Dash is still eating boiled chicken breasts, but his appetite is improving. We were even able to take a walk this morning. Our progress was slow, but I could tell that Dash enjoyed being outdoors again. He wasn't panting or in any kind of distress, so I was happy to let him inch along, smelling every bush along the way.

After I finished my breakfast, I picked up some more Cerenia at the vet so we'd be ready for the next vestibular episode. A four day course of this anti-nausea drug really seems to help combat the vertigo and unsteadiness associated with vestibular disease. I wish there was something I could do about the weakness in his rear legs. That's a symptom that doesn't seem to be going away.

While I was out this morning I picked up my tax documents at the accountant and signed my return. I don't know why I bother to keep all these documents. I've got decades of files in the storage warehouse that I know I'll never need again. Even if I did need them, I probably couldn't find them.

I'm still eating Easter leftovers for dinner. Even though the ham wasn't too salty, I'm starting to feel like I've reached my yearly quota of salt. I've been watching my salt intake for years now and I don't have much of a tolerance for the stuff anymore. I wish that food wouldn't go bad in the refrigerator. A couple of slices of ham every month wouldn't hurt anything. I'm pushing my luck though eating it every day.

I don't understand the stock market at all anymore. This morning everyone was in a panic about tariffs. By mid afternoon, the crisis was forgotten. Oops. Never mind. Nothing had changed, but that didn't prevent a 700 point swing during the day. All this insane volatility makes me want to go out and buy something tangible that I can hold in my hand. Maybe I should get that iPhone after all.

Two of our friends in the neighborhood lost their dog to meningitis recently. I know how they feel, but I don't really know how to express it. I've felt this way ever since we lost Dot. It's so terribly sad to lose a pet after you've done everything you possibly can to save them. You just feel helpless. Enjoy every day you have with your pet. They aren't with us nearly long enough. Rest in peace Bizzy. Everybody loved you.

Dottie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3020 - Easter

Janet and I have been watching old World War II bombers fly over our house for the past week, so we decided to go see them today. A traveling exhibit called Wings of Freedom was in Dallas this week which included some of the last remaining examples of legendary planes like the B-17, the B-24, and the P51 Mustang that are still in flying condition. You can even take rides in these planes although it is pretty expensive. I had no idea how a thirty minute flight could cost $450 until Janet and I climbed inside the B-17 parked on the runway and took a look inside. Good Lord. How do these things still fly? It might be pretty exciting to ride inside one of these ancient bombers, but bungee jumping seems safer. The planes looked huge on the outside but were claustrophobic inside. The B-17 only has room for 7 passengers and costs $4000 an hour to fly. No wonder rides are expensive. You have to always watch your step, because there are few areas where you can stand up and lots of sharp things to bang your head on. These bombers were state-of-the-art in the early 1940's, but seem primitive by today's standards. It's amazing how much the world has changed. I don't know if I'd have the nerve to fly in one of these things, but I have a lot of admiration for the men and women of my Dad's generation who did.

I was surprised at how cold it was this morning. I'm sure glad I fixed the furnace. Maybe it was a little premature to think that Spring was here to stay. Hey, at least we aren't getting snow like some parts of the country. The cooler weather didn't deter the hordes of people who descend on the park every Easter. People were already staking out their territories when we took Dash on his sunrise walk. Later in the day the place looked like a rock concert. I don't know where these people come from, but they sure don't believe in picking up their trash. Every year, the park is a disaster on the day after Easter. Lots of garbage get blown away by the wind and never gets picked up. The rest sits around for weeks until the sanitation department finally gets around to removing it. For the next three weeks I'm going to have to watch carefully to make sure that Dash doesn't eat chicken bones or children's Easter candy. The stuff is everywhere.

It's a shame that Dash wasn't feeling great today, because Janet and I had a delicious Easter feast. We enjoyed a traditional meal of smoked ham, candied yams, green beans, corn on the cob, and spiced baked apples. Dash had an upset stomach and was reluctant to eat his favorite dog food. He must have experienced another vestibular event. Even though Dash seemed normal for much of the day, he ended up throwing up twice as evening approached. Hopefully, the worst is over now and he'll be able to hold down his evening meds. It's always important that he takes his phenobarbital.

It was enjoyable to get out of the house today. While we were at Love Field we stopped to visit the Frontiers of Flight museum. The museum is home to the Apollo VII capsule and they were getting ready for a fiftieth anniversary celebration of the launch later this year. Has it been that long? Jeez. I'm really getting old. I remember each of the Apollo launches quite vividly. There were a couple of World War II vets touring the B-17 with us. I imagine they felt even older.

It was nice having a holiday weekend, but it's back to normal tomorrow. I might even have to mow the grass.

Haley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3018

The house was cold this morning when I woke up. The thermostat said the heat was on, but no air was blowing through the vents. Yep. On probably the last cool day of the year, the furnace broke. I was actually surprised that we made it through the winter with no problems. I looked at the furnace and the fault alert LED was blinking seven times. Hmm. I think I've seen this before. I unplugged the furnace and laid out my tools on the kitchen counter. When I returned from breakfast, I would have one more thing to fix.

Breakfast was actually pretty decent this morning. I gambled on Eggs Benedict and for once it was prepared correctly. I was surprised at how crowded the restaurant was today. I guess a lot of people had the day off. I picked up groceries after breakfast and the store was even more crowded than the restaurant. The deli section featured braised brisket, matzo-ball soup, kugel, and other Passover favorites. I still wanted an Easter ham, but I wasn't going to get it here. There is a great little store in our neighborhood that smokes their own meat.

When I returned home I disassembled the furnace to gain access to the flame sensor. I suspected that this was the problem. I've spent a fortune on furnace repairs over the years before a friendly technician took pity on me and showed me how to clean the flame sensor myself. If the flame sensor is not very clean, it will not send the signal to turn the main burners on after the pilot light ignites. Occasionally components break or wear out, but most furnace problems have something to do with the flame sensor. Sure enough, when I cleaned the sensor with fine grit sandpaper and reassembled everything, the furnace worked perfectly. Let's hope the air conditioner works as well, because we're going to be using it very soon.

Dash's new boots arrived today. Janet and I had been looking at this well known Dalmatian on Facebook wearing these fancy Ultra-Paws boots all winter and finally decided to try a pair ourselves. The boots were a little pricy, but they do seem to work. I can get them on myself and Dash doesn't seem to mind them at all. He's been test driving them all evening.

I think I've found a new use for Shoe Goo. After Superglue failed several times, I used the Shoe Goo to repair the silicon strap on my fitness tracker. I let the repair dry for 24 hours and so far it's been holding up pretty well. Ordinarily, I would have just bought a new fitness tracker, but the Jawbone company has gone out of business. I think my choices are Shoe Goo or nothing.

Dash got me up twice last night to go outside and poop. I try my best to get Dash to do his business before we all go to bed, but Dash just thinks I'm crazy. He's just not going to go before he's ready. Things were easier when Dash ate dry food and didn't take so many pills. I'm not sure what to do at this point, but naps during the day are certainly an option. I'm definitely not very busy anymore.

The roof is drying out, but there's an ugly rust colored stain in the sheetrock. I've left several messages for the roofer, but I'm sure he's got his hands full with bigger leaks than mine. I hope I don't have to go buy more of the messy elastomer material myself, but it may come to that. I'm always fixing something.

Sparky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3017

I went to a meeting today. Jeez. It's been ages since I've been to any sort of meeting. This wasn't work related, but there were people sitting around a table discussing things. It was definitely a meeting. I don't do well in meetings anymore. I don't have the patience for them. I hope I made a contribution, but I probably didn't. I did eat a lot of pizza.

I didn't realize it was Thursday until Janet reminded me to take out the trash. I thought it was Tuesday all day yesterday. No wonder I had trouble remembering my dental appointment. I guess this is how it begins. First you forget what day it is and before long you can't even remember your own name. I'd probably remember what day it was if it mattered. It doesn't. Without deadlines to meet, all days are more or less the same.

There are only two kinds of day for Dash. There are the days when Janet goes to work and the days she stays home. I'm pretty sure he likes the weekends better. Today was a workday, so we went on our morning walk as soon as Janet left for work. He seemed fine while we were walking, but when we returned home he began acting strange. Since he wouldn't eat and seemed a little unsteady on his feet, I though he might be having a mild vestibular event. I'm glad we were home when this happened. I always worry that he'll have a vestibular event when we are in a remote part of the park.

After a long nap, Dash was fine again. He finished the breakfast he refused to touch earlier and was even eager to take an afternoon walk. We go through this routine almost every day. There is no way to predict what is going to happen next. When Dash is feeling good, he still acts like a young dog. At other times he can barely stand up. I try my best to anticipate things, but it gets confusing. I don't want Dash to overexert himself and I don't want him to become sedentary either.

It's hard to believe it's almost Easter. It seems like I just took down the Christmas tree a few days ago.  We had such a mild winter that it's easy to forget we had a Winter at all. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do for breakfast, but I am going to go out and get an Easter ham. We had a smoked ham for Christmas and it was really good. I wouldn't mind having the same holiday meal again. this weekend.

It doesn't take much to get me off schedule. A simple evening meeting and here I am watching the clock approach midnight. Al least Dash has finally gone to sleep. Hopefully, tonight's pizza won't give me heartburn. If it does, that's the way it goes. I should have had more willpower and eaten a single slice.

Elliott is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 2923 - Christmas

I enjoy looking at my Facebook page on Christmas morning. It's a nice change of pace from the evening news to see so many people from all walks of life enjoying themselves and having fun. Since most of my Facebook friends appear to be Dalmatians, I might have a somewhat distorted view of what Christmas is all about. It seems to be a day to wear ridiculous costumes, eat lots of treats, and curl up under warm blankets. This is as it should be. Northern Dalmatians appear to love the snow, but I have had few chances to verify this myself. It was certainly cold this morning, but there was no white Christmas.

Dash seemed to know it was a holiday. He let us sleep in this morning, which is a rarity in our house. We bundled up in warm coats and took a Christmas morning walk before breakfast. It was beautiful outside and we virtually had the park to ourselves because it was so cold. We used to put Christmas bows and colorful scarves on the dogs for their Christmas walk, but that seemed a little much today. Dash has to wear so much protective gear now that he probably couldn't move if we asked him to wear anything else.

We didn't end up going to a Christmas movie after all. The film Janet wanted to see wasn't playing anywhere locally and nothing else seemed appealing. Dash had a weird shivering episode around mid-morning too, so it didn't seem right to leave him for any length of time. These shivering spasms are new. He's not cold when they happen and the shaking lasts a few minutes and then he's back to normal. One more question to ask the vets when he goes back for his next echocardiogram and exam in early January.

Janet started fixing Christmas dinner when I took Dash on his afternoon walk. By the time we returned, the house smelled great. I like a traditional holiday feast. We had smoked ham, candied yams, roasted brussels sprouts, Italian sausage dressing, and a pumpkin pie for dessert. Dash got his own special Christmas dinner from Devon's Doggie Delights. It was a quiet low key day which was exactly what everybody needed. I need to remember to go back to the little smokehouse I discovered. Our Christmas ham was amazing.

Time moves so quickly now. This has been an eventful year, filled with challenges and sadness. So much has happened and yet last Christmas just seems like yesterday. There is no time to waste anymore. Janet and I have already outlived some very good friends. It makes you realize that any day you are still healthy enough to wake up and take a walk through the woods with your dog is a good day.

Tomorrow Janet returns to work and I return to my morning smoothie and a day filled with fixing broken things around the house. I still haven't found a solution to my next website challenge, but I will. I may have slowed down, but you can't count me out yet.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 2921

I went to a local smokehouse and got a smoked ham for our Christmas dinner. I'm quite fond of smoked and cured meats. It's a shame they are so bad for you. They say smoked meats can cause cancer. Unfortunately, just about everything in our modern world can cause cancer. Rather than trying to eliminate all these tasty things from my diet, I've decided that it's OK to enjoy them in moderation.

I have ambiguous feelings about meat these days. I still enjoy a good steak, but I feel guilty about my eating habits whenever I see those cute pictures of pet piglets on my Facebook page. Why does bacon have to taste so good? I've tried to become a vegetarian several times, but I've come to the conclusion that I don't really like vegetables. My favorite meatless dishes are Indian curries that so spicy you can't really tell what you're eating.

I do think the way pigs and chickens are treated on factory farms is terrible. You have to be honest about where your food is coming from. I know that's it probably just a token gesture to eat grass fed, pasture raised, hormone free meat, but that's where I am right now. There was a flyer in the smokehouse about how well their locally sourced, pasture raised pork is treated. Nevertheless, I'm still eating one of the smartest animals on the planet.

Dogs don't have to deal with all this moral uncertainty. They are natural carnivores who would never turn down an invitation to enjoy a juicy piece of meat. Dash's appetite has definitely improved after we decreased his intake of dry kibble and increased the amount of venison and chicken he gets. Animals are more honest about what they eat than we are. Carnivores eat other animals. Herbivores eat plants and in turn are eaten by the carnivores. This elaborate and seemingly cruel food chain helped keep the planet in balance for millions of years until humans started monkeying around with things. Vegans don't occur in nature. Humans invented the concept when some of us didn't like the fact that we are natural omnivores. I know processed foods are bad for you. I know that 70% of the food on my plate should be plant based. Hey, if I want to get my protein from meat though, that's OK. Food choices should be based on biology, not ideology.

I didn't really do much today, but as you can see, even a quick trip to the smokehouse can provide me with plenty to write about. Dash threw up this afternoon, but I don't think it had anything to do with his vestibular disease. We tried to brush his teeth today and he threw up right afterwards. I think he hated the taste of the toothpaste. It's getting harder and harder to keep his teeth clean now that he is no longer a good candidate for anesthesia.

I went to pick up some meds for Dash at the vet this afternoon and confused the pharmacist by giving him the wrong name for the pills I was picking up. Jeez, I need to stop asking for enalapril when I'm really trying to get amlodapine. Dash takes so many meds that it's easy to get confused. It's easy enough to get confused with my own meds. What did we do before there was a pill for everything?

I can't decide whether to go to the gym tomorrow. It's Christmas Eve, but it's also Sunday. For a creature of habit like me, it's a tough choice.

Ziggy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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