Day 4999

I woke up with a terrible stomach ache this morning. I must have eaten something yesterday that had gone bad in the refrigerator. It happens ocassionally. I felt better as the day progressed but I need to be more careful about eating old food.

We had a nice sunrise walk with Dawn and then I made the bed and ate my breakfast. The good thing about eating shredded wheat for breakfast is that it never goes bad. I could probably open a two year old box and it would still be fine. After breakfast I checked my messages and went to the bank. I got stuck behind someone making a long transaction at the drive up window, but I wasn't in any hurry. The only thing on my schedule was a trip to the gym.

I didn't complete my routine today. All I did was walk three miles around the indoor track and come home again. It seemed strange that I did so well yesterday, but I just didn't feel like exercising today. When I returned home I let Dawn out in the back yard so she could sun herself. She loves to sit out in the sun, but I bring her back inside after about ten minutes. When I start getting really hot, I figure she's had enough.

It's still hard to believe that tomorrow is the last day of the blog. I've been doing this for a very long time. I still have mixed feelings about ending things but I think it's time. I don't enjoy writing these daily posts as much as I used to and often feel like I'm running out of things to say. Sometimes I'm amazed that anyone still reads this. In the early days of the blog my readers seemed amazed when I posted something every evening for 500 consecutive days. Now that I'm approaching 5000 days there are few readers left. Blogging just isn't as popular as it once was. My plan was always to take long walks in the morning to keep my body in shape and write something every evening to keep my mind in shape. Not a bad plan actually, but it probably would have worked just as well if I did Sudoku puzzles instead.

This afternoon was uneventful. I hope things finally start to cool off in September. The weather app on my phone still shows clear skies and triple digit temperatures for the next two weeks, but this has got to end sometime. I need to think of something to occupy my time but I'm in no particular hurry. Until something captures my interest I can just watch old Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond episodes on TV.

It's time to make my grocery list again. Janet did her grocery shopping today and Dawn was just as excited as ever when she returned with lots of bags of food to put away. Grocery day is a big deal to Dawn. I'd like to post something meaningful tomorrow, but I suspect that it will be another ordinary Saturday. There has certainly been some excitement during the past fifteen years, but life isn't like that always. Maybe that's the charm of this blog. I make the ordinary and uneventful seem OK.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4998

Not a bad day. We had a nice sunrise walk with Dawn this morning. These early walks are still very pleasant. It's just too bad that the temperature warms up so quickly once the sun appears. We see lots of people walking their dogs these days. I think everyone in the neighborhood has realized that this is the only sane time to walk your dog. Dawn seldom wants to greet the dogs we pass on our walk, but she always wants to smell where they've been. We take our time on these walks and let Dawn smell things to her heart's content. They say smelling things is a really important part of a dog's life. Smells certainly seems to be a high priority for Dawn.

I wasn't in a hurry to get to the gym this morning so I did a load of laundry after breakfast. Doing laundry is oddly satisfying. I like having everything in it's place and folding the laundry and putting it away is so much easier than cleaning up the office. I don't know why I bother to check my messages anymore. I seldom get any. Today I had one form letter from the new head of media operations for the Space Force. It basically said that he looked forward to seeing me at future launches. I'm glad the Space Force hasn't forgotten about me. It's been a while since I've attended a military launch.

Lately, I've been trying to get to the gym just before lunchtime. The gym is never crowded then and it's much easier to find a place in the parking garage. I did much better today. My time on the three mile walk around the indoor track was pretty decent. There are still people faster than me, but I kept up a respectable pace. I actually did great on the basketball court. I completed my ten free throws in less than six minutes which I think is a record. Today I completed five free throws in a row. I don't think I've ever done that before. If I ever manage to complete all ten shots in a row I'll move on to something more difficult. I have no idea if that will ever happen. I still miss quite a few shots.

I did all my weight lifting exercises today and even thought about adding a few more. Maybe later. I was actually pretty tired by the time I headed home again. One of the streets I normally take on the way home was blocked because of road construction so I had to take a detour. You'd think that the city would eventually finish with all the roads, but they've been under construction even since I moved here in the mid 70's. You can't drive five miles in this town without encountering road construction.

I've been making myself a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch lately. I never used to eat lunch so I feel vaguely guilty of eating something now. I think I just eat out of boredom. I'm seldom all that hungry which is probably one of the reasons I don't go out for breakfast on Friday's anymore. A small bowl of shredded wheat is just fine.

Janet wants to get a new chair for Santa to sit in to go with our new Santa Paws backdrop. We looked at chairs that would look nice in a Winter outdoor setting and I think we found something that will work. I'm glad Janet cares about these things, because all I'm thinking about is how tired I'm going to be and wondering whether my strobe lights will still work this year. I thought I was getting too old for this five years ago and yet here we are. We've got three dates scheduled for this year. I guess I can make it.

I've finished taking this week's trash out to the curb and it still seems way too hot around sunset. Hopefully September will be a little cooler. I have no plans for tomorrow at all which just means I will be going back to the gym around 11:30 again.

Domino is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4997

I wish I was ending the blog on a high note. It would be nice to go out describing some sort of grand adventure. Not very likely. It looks like this summer will continue to be an endless series of very hot days where my main activity is staying out of the sun.

The sunrise walks are still nice. The temperature was in the high 70's this morning and there was a nice breeze. The construction activity in the neighborhood seems to have ended. The water department made a mess of the streets, but I guess we have new pipes now. There are currently three empty lots on the street. The houses have been scraped and the buyers of the properties don't seem to be in any hurry to put up anything new. They're probably waiting for interest rates to go down again. There doesn't appear to be any desire to save these older houses. The main reason they get demolished so quickly is that property taxes are lower if there is no house on the lot.

I watched the news about the hurricane while I ate breakfast this morning. It was a strong hurricane, but it went through a rural part of Florida so damage wasn't as bad as people expected. Nobody that I know down there suffered any damage. I'm glad we don't have to worry about hurricanes in Dallas. We do have the occasional tornado, but there haven't been any problems this year. Before you can worry about tornados you need rain. We haven't had any rain for over a month.

I went to the gym again this morning. I didn't even complete my full routine today. All I did was walk three miles around the indoor track and come home again. I don't know why I didn't stay longer because I definitely had no plans for the afternoon. I wasn't particularly tired either. I just wasn't in a great mood. Oh, well. At least I got my steps.

I seem to have lost interest in the star tracker. I haven't even turned it on in quite a while. The lack of interest probably coincides with my lack of a plan to return to McDonald Observatory. I miss the place, but I have serious doubts about making the long drive again. I just don't have the energy that I used to have and it isn't worth being run over by an eighteen wheeler just to get a chance to see the Milky Way again. Hey. I did see the moon tonight though. The rare blue super moon was noticeably larger than usual.

Dawn won a ribbon in her training class tonight. We thought she might never win a ribbon again because she has to wear a harness at class now. All the other dogs are on a regular leash and collar and were easier to control. Dawn did well. She completed all the exercises without the need for a training collar or any pressure on her neck.

It's hard to believe tomorrow is the last day in August. This entire year has gone quickly. Maybe September will be cooler. I certainly hope so. I don't know if I can take another month like this.

Tessa is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4992

We keep setting record high temperatures every single day. I'm beginning to think this heat wave will never end. They say a cold front will arrive next Monday though. For a few days the high temperature will only be in the 90's. We got a late start on our sunrise walk this morning, but very few people were out on the trails. I think the entire city has retreated indoors.

Dawn had lots of energy this morning. She wanted to take a longer walk than usual. She's still coughing a little but seems to be feeling much better. One thing we learned from the x-rays they took at the vet yesterday was that Dawn has hip dysplasia. She doesn't show any signs of discomfort yet, but this is troubling. One of our earlier Dalmatians had hip dysplasia and had to take Rimadyl for years. There is always a danger of liver or kidney damage with this drug.

After breakfast this morning I tried to do a few useful things around the house. I deep watered some trees in the front yard that were starting to look dry. Then I attempted to bleach away some of the water stains in the ceiling. This was more or less a failure. When I got a ladder out so I could inspect the damaged areas more closely I discovered that the sheetrock around the cracks was more of less ruined. It was all powdery and probably spreading a coat of mud over the cracks isn't going to help much. I need to find a tape and bed guy to completely replace the damaged sheetrock. This is going to create so much dust and mess in the house that I'm reluctant to do this yet. Maybe the solution is just to not look up at the ceiling.

I'm beginning to regret that I didn't apply to attend either the Crew 7 or Silent Barker launches. Since there is a Starlink launch as well, there will be three different rockets launching within a few days of each other at the end of the week. It would be a good time to be down at Kennedy Space Center. Oh, well. Snooze, you lose I guess. There will always be other launches later in the year.

I didn't do well at the gym today. I was slower walking around the indoor track and I was definitely off my game shooting baskets. It's weird how much things can change from one day to the next. I have a hard time telling whether it's my body or my mood that affects my performance. I got a good night's sleep last night and wasn't all that tired. I wasn't in a good mood though. Maybe that was it. Since I go to the gym every day now, maybe there's a chance to redeem myself tomorrow.

I don't think I like my new phone as well as my old phone. The touch screen seems way too sensitive. Several times the camera or flashlight apps have opened on their own while the phone was in my pocket. If the flashlight app is running in your pocket the battery can be drained in just a few hours. I guess I could always go back to using the old phone, but this new one is so much faster.

This day was more exciting for Dawn than for me. It was grocery day again. She always gets so excited when Janet returns with groceries. I need to make my own grocery list soon because I always complete the week's grocery runs tomorrow. There will be triple digit temperatures again this weekend, but I'm looking forward to Monday. The prospect of a cold front arriving sounds appealing.

Pinky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4990

When is this month going to be over? I keep waiting for the weather to change, but every day is the same. It looks like we're going to have clear skies and triple digit temperatures forever. The only time when the weather is tolerable is just before sunrise. Our early walks with Dawn are warm now, but they are still the nicest part of the day.

I applied to attend another launch at Kennedy Space Center. This one isn't until early October and I'm not even sure I want to go. I need to keep my space connections alive though. It took me a long time before I was publishing regularly and could consider myself an official space reporter. I definitely don't want to be forgotten and have to start all over again. Maybe my interest in things will return when the weather gets cooler. Right now I just want to hibernate.

I took my time with breakfast this morning because I didn't want to get to they gym too early. What's the hurry? Going to the gym is my only regular activity lately. I've got to space things out so I don't have an entire afternoon to fill. When I did arrive for my workout there seemed to be twice as many people on the floor as there usually are. I'm convinced that the heat is driving everyone indoors. Luckily someone was leaving just as I arrived and I still found a spot in the parking garage. If I have to park outdoors, the steering wheel is almost too hot to touch when it's time to go home again. I was slow on the track today, probably because there were too many other people walking and running. I was pretty good on the basketball court though. If I can ever manage to complete ten free throws in a row, I'll move on to something more difficult.

I wish I hadn't started eating lunch again. I know that's why I'm gaining weight. I'm not even that hungry, but fixing myself lunch is a great way to kill time. There are all kinds of things that need attention around the house, but I'm doing my best to avoid them. Painting is messy. Repairing cracks in ceiling is messy. Some of the carpentry work that is needed is probably beyond the scope of my abilities. It's actually pretty easy to talk myself out of doing repairs. I'm an expert at talking myself out of things.

The pharmacy still doesn't have the pills I need. I may have to get the prescription refilled at a different pharmacy because I will run out tomorrow. It seems like a pharmacy should always have the pills you need but nothing works smoothly anymore. Little inconsequential things have a way of becoming giant hassles.

It looks like we're going to be doing Santa Paw pictures again. We've already got dates scheduled in December. I hope my old equipment keeps working. I hope my body keeps working as well. I definitely don't want to buy any new photo equipment at this stage of my life. I'll keep walking to keep myself working.

Dawn didn't get to go to her training class tonight. It's still way too hot outside. Maybe next week will be better.

Mickey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4989

I wonder why this seems like the hottest summer ever? I think there have been several years when it has been worse, but I can't remember exactly when. I know there was a time when the water level in the lake was even lower. When I would walk along the shoreline I would see vast expanses of dried mud extending out at least 100 yards. This isn't the first year that the grass in the front yard has died either. There have been many years when the park department has mowed down the native prairie grasslands to prevent fires. There have been other years where there have been giant cracks in the soil as well. This still seems like the hottest summer ever though. I guess my memory is selective. We just tend to remember the good years and forget the bad.

There are very few people walking in the park these days. It's too hot. On our sunrise walk this morning we hardly saw anyone. It seems weird to have the temperature approaching 90 degrees at sunrise, but that's the way it is. We still had an enjoyable walk this morning. Everything is relative I guess. 85 degrees is still a lot nicer than 105 degrees.

After breakfast this morning I took a letter to the post office and went to pick up a prescription. The message on the pharmacy line said the prescription would be ready at 11 AM, but when I went to pick it up they told me that the pills were out of stock and it would be several days before they had them again. "But your phone message said," I began. The pharmacist just shrugged and told me to come back later.

The same people seems to be doing the same things at the gym every day. Of course I'm no different. I do the same things every day as well. When I begin my three mile walk around the indoor track I'm always bored and think that I'll go straight home as soon as I'm finished. After I've walked two miles my opinion seems to change and I think I might as well shoot a few baskets. After I complete my ten free throws I think I might as well lift a few weights now that I'm already here. It's always the same. I wonder if I'll ever feel like doing anything different?

I've been trying to go to the gym later because I can't think of anything I feel like doing in the afternoon. I've been an avid reader for most of my life but I don't even feel like reading anymore. I'm not sure what I did this afternoon, but the time went quickly. Pretty soon it was time to fix Dawn's dinner and then eat my own. I'm watering the lawn now, but it's probably a hopeless endeavor. Nature usually wins these battles.

I keep toying with the idea of going offline entirely when I finish the blog. I'm not working now and it gets harder and harder to find any benefit in social media. Maybe my Luddite sister is right. I spent many, many years without the Internet and I did just fine. It's weird that we have all grown so dependent on having instant access to everything. I used to correspond with lots of people and was always getting letters in the mail. I used to go read magazines in the public library when I was bored. Of course most of those magazines are out of business now. I drove a manual transmission car and found my way around town without GPS. Oh, well. I guess you can't turn back time although I'd certainly like to.

Lance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4988

The Bordetella vaccine that Dawn got yesterday really helped. She hardly coughed at all today. I think the only time she started coughing at all was when she drank water too fast. I don't know why nobody seemed to think she had kennel cough. If it quacks like a duck, it is usually a duck. I always thought she had either kennel cough or the canine flu. Hopefully Dawn remains healthy and we can put this problem behind us. The last thing we need during this impossibly hot summer is a sick dog.

It looks like Houston might get some rain from the storm system currently in the Gulf, but it doesn't seem like any of this moisture will reach Dallas. The forecast still indicates clear skies and triple digit temperatures for the next week. We've learned to look forward to our sunrise walks with Dawn. The hour before sunrise is the only time when you can even pretend that being outdoors is enjoyable. It was 85 degrees when we walked Dawn this morning. There was a light breeze though. It felt nice.

I went to the gym later today because Janet likes me out of the house while she's cleaning on Monday afternoon. I had lots of time to kill this morning so I wrote a letter to my sister, did a load of laundry, payed bills, and did some more work on my neighbor's website. Website maintenance is turning into a struggle these days. The Dreamweaver software I've always used to upload and maintain sites is obsolete and barely runs anymore. I'm sure there are newer alternative available but they won't run on my older computer. I'm still running the Sierra operating system, which is the latest system that will run on my 2011 desktop. I really don't want to buy a new computer at this point. I don't use it very much and will use it even less when I finish with the blog.

When I finally made it to the gym I did surprisingly well. Where did I get all this energy today? I had my best pace on the indoor track in weeks and completed my ten free throws on the basketball court in record time. It took me less than seven minutes today. The gym must have fixed the air conditioning system because it was nice and cool inside while I was there. No wonder there have been more people using the gym lately. It's probably one of the more pleasant places you can go in town these days. The temperature at the gym is certainly cooler than the restaurant where we ate on Janet's birthday.

I made some minor updates to the Dalmatian Rescue website when I returned home and then took a nap. I got an invitation today from McDonald Observatory to attend an appreciation dinner for past and present volunteers. I appreciate the invitation but it seems like a really long drive just to go out for dinner. I think I'll pass on this one. I'd love to return to the observatory at some point, but I don't know if I'm up for the drive anymore. On my last drive home from Fort Davis I had a strong feeling that this was going to be the last trip. I was really tired and the eighteen wheelers that were continually barreling past me on the freeway were frightening. These days my drive to the gym is about as far as I want to go.

I'm probably still up for an occasional trip to Kennedy Space Center. Titusville is a nice sleepy little town and I like it there. The launch photographers are a pleasant group to hang out with as well. With any luck I'll make it down there again this year. There's no hurry though. I don't feel like going anywhere until the weather cools off. Right now I'll just make very short trips to my very cold gym.

Joe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4983

It was actually a little chilly this morning. I was amazed. We had a very pleasant walk with Dawn today. I think we were all surprised at the cooler weather. Unfortunately this isn't going to last. It's going to be 108 degrees again tomorrow. There's a chance of rain next week though. One can always hope.

The weather was so nice today that I didn't go to the gym. I ate my breakfast and for the first time in ages decide to take my long walk in the park again. It's been a while, so I noticed a few changes. Stone masons are rebuilding the park restrooms that got destroyed when a guy lost control of his car and crashed into the building several months ago. 

New grass has been planted in several bare areas. I didn't see many people though. Even though it was much cooler than yesterday, it was still pretty warm. I was surprised to see that all the ducks at Sunset Bay were gone. I wonder where they went. The water level in the lake was lower as well. These were all small changes though. The walk was pretty much the same as it's always been. 

I think walking outdoors is better exercise than walking at the gym. I certainly felt more tired when I returned home. Oddly, my Fitbit didn't agree. It says I actually burn more calories per mile while walking indoors. It's definitely more interesting walking outdoors. This is probably going to be a one day event however. The rest of the week will be just as hot as it's always been.

I got another invitation to attend a launch at the end of August. I'll think about it. I probably won't go though. I'm still feeling poor. There will always be other launches and Florida will be more pleasant later in the Fall. The fact that I'm not terribly eager to travel anywhere is a bit troubling. Ordinarily I'd have figured out a way to return to McDonald Observatory by now and would never turn down an opportunity to see a launch.

Maybe a few more weeks of fighting the heat here in Dallas will have me thinking differently soon. Driving to the gym every morning and then spending the afternoon wondering if the air conditioner was going to keep working is not very exciting. There are other things I could be doing but most of them involve work. I really don't feel like fixing things around the house.

Dawn got to go to her training class again. The temperature was finally cool enough for class. Dawn seemed really excited this evening when she realized she was going to go somewhere. Janet said she did well in class although she didn't bring home any ribbons this week. Dawn enjoys this class. Hopefully she will get to go again next week.

I need to remember that I've got a dental appointment tomorrow. I get so used to my never changing schedule that it's easy to forget these things. I don't think I have any cavities, but you never know. I go to the dentist regularly now, probably to make up for the many years when I never went at all. Dawn has her own dental appointment next week. She probably spent many years not going to the dentist as well.

Pogo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4982

It was surprisingly cool this morning. When we left the house to take our sunrise walk it was only 75 degrees. It was so pleasant outside that I thought seriously about walking in the park later in the day. Then the sun came up. As soon as the sun hit my face I knew this illusion of Fall wasn't going to last long.

I didn't do much today. I was supposed to hear whether I got accepted to the OSIRIS-REx sample return event at John Space Center, but nothing came in the mail. I'm getting closer to attempting to repair the damaged sheetrock in the living room ceiling myself, but it's still looking like a task to avoid. It's kind of amazing that the days still go quickly. On days like this it feels like I do literally nothing at all.

Of course I still make the bed, have my shredded wheat and fruit for breakfast and go to the gym. These things seem automatic now. At many points during the day I find myself thinking "didn't I just do this yesterday." Maybe it was always this way. Nostalgia is kind of tricky. I think we all have a way of making the past seem more exciting than it actually was.

At the gym everyone walks around the indoor track clockwise on odd days and counterclockwise on even days. This has always seemed strange to me but I've never questioned it. Wouldn't it be easier to just keep the direction the same? I've gotten in the habit of adding up the distance I've traveled in my head. I'm getting pretty good at this, but still lose count of my laps from time to time. I sometimes lose count of how many free throws I've completed on the basketball court as well. I ought to pay more attention to what the trainers are doing. I could probably pick up some good tips without having to hire a trainer myself. There are lots of televisions at the gym. When I'm going clockwise on the track I watch what's happening on the Food Network. When I'm going counterclockwise I watch what happening on Animal Planet. It's all pretty boring. I think I just do this because I'm addicted to getting my Fitbit steps.

When I come home I let Dawn outside to pee and then I make a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. Occasionally I wonder why I'm not doing more. I always hear people talks about how they are passionate about this or that. I've never felt this way. Hey, dispassionate is a fine word that doesn't get used a lot. Isn't being calm, rational, and impartial a good thing?

I think it is kind of weird that I'm running out of things to say at the exact same time as I'm approaching my blogging goal. Did I know this was going to happen all those years ago? I often wonder why I picked 5000 days in the first place? Maybe this was just meant to be. The way I'm feeling now, I don't think I could possible keep writing for 6000 days.

I think it's still going to be cooler tomorrow. That's a good thing. Maybe Dawn will finally get to go to her training class again. For the past month it has been too hot for Dawn to go to the Wednesday evening class. We'll see what happens. I'm not expecting any surprises.

Freckles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4979

I had a long list of things to get today and most of them weren't groceries. I needed bug spray, WD-40, dishwasher detergent, Swiffer dusters, and blue shop towels. There were food items too, but it seemed like I visited way too many stores this morning. When I returned home with the groceries Dawn didn't get excited at all. She didn't even get off the bed this morning.

They are still tearing up the streets in the neighborhood to put in new water mains. Inevitably when the city paves a street, some other department tears it up again within six months. I'm not sure why we need new water mains in the neighborhood, but it seems like a major undertaking. 

The weather hasn't gotten any better. When we took our early walk this morning the temperature was almost 90 degrees. This was before sunrise too. I keep looking every day to see if there is any rain in the forecast. Nothing so far. It's kind of ironic that after we got a brand new roof, we haven't really needed it. It's been hot and dry ever since the roof was installed.

I went to the gym after I finished my errands this morning. The place is usually fairly empty on weekends, but I didn't get to shoot baskets today because there were other people using the court. I did my three miles on the indoor track, lifted a few weights, and came home again. I was slow again today. I still have no idea why some days are better than others.

I treated the western side of the house for spiders when I returned from the gym. Hopefully this will keep the webs from returning. It's so hot outside that I've given up on mowing the grass or doing other yard work. The grass isn't growing a lot anyway. It's all starting to turn yellow. Leaves are starting to drop from the trees way earlier than they should as well. This heat is bad for plants and animals alike. I keep wondering what happened to the rabbits we used to see every morning. We haven't seen any bunnies in almost a month.

Dawn's lab results came back today and she appears to be in good health. Her blood work actually looks better than mine. Although Dawn was already an older dog when we adopted her, she seems to be quite healthy. If she has any problems they all appear to be mental. To be fair, Dawn has actually adapted quite well to her new life. She was born in a puppy mill and spent her first ten years as a breeding dog. Life with us is probably still pretty new to her.

I'm still having trouble getting excited about anything. It's probably the weather. I'm not even sure I want to go to the OSIRIS-REx event at Johnson Space Center now. I'm probably getting ahead of myself though. I haven't even been approved yet. Until then I'll keep following my regular routine. I'll go mall walking tomorrow morning and then we'll take Dawn on her Sunday outing. It will probably be too hot for a walk, but at least we'll get ice cream cones.

Ellis is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4976

I'm starting to forget what day it is. If the day and date weren't on my watch, I wouldn't have a clue. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. August is almost always this way. By this time of year the rainy season is over and the days just blend together. It's a time where I've grown tired of Summer but realize that Fall is still a long way away.

Our sunrise walks are hot now. The good news is that I can tell the days are already starting to get shorter. Sooner or later it will rain again. Until then we keep getting up early to avoid the heat. Dawn still enjoys her sunrise walks. Even though it is way too hot, it is still the nicest part of the day.

There's a lot of construction going on in the neighborhood and I wonder how the workers can stand the heat. One of the neighbors is adding an addition to their house. The city is putting in new water lines and has made a mess of several nearby streets. The demolition crew still hasn't finished knocking down the house up the street either. Most tear downs only take a day or two. This one has taken over a week.

Watching the progress on this construction keeps the days from seeming identical. As soon as we return home, I forget what day it is again. I make the bed, eat my shredded wheat and fruit, check my messages, and head for the gym. It's always the same. I don't think I'm missing much though. At least from what I see on my Facebook feed, nobody else is doing anything interesting either.

I found a spot in the parking garage when I arrived at the gym this morning. That's always a good sign. When I start walking around the indoor track I always think I'm going home as soon as I finish my three miles. By the end of mile two I usually change my mind. I thought I wasn't going to shoot baskets today because people were playing pickleball on the court, but they finished just before I finished my third mile. I completed my ten free throws in record time today. I've started adding additional weights to the upper body exercises I do after I finish on the court. It's not much, but it's enough to make me feel like I'm making progress. I don't feel like I'm getting a lot stronger. My daily trip to the gym is just a way to pass the time and make a long summer feel a little shorter.

I fix lunch when I get home to pass the time as well. I think eating lunch again is making me gain weight but it's nothing to worry about. I never weighed much to begin with. It's amazing that the afternoons go so quickly because I never do much in the afternoon. Before you know it, it's time to fix Dawn's dinner and then eat my own.

Tomorrow morning Dawn has a vet appointment to get blood work done. She always needs new blood work before we get her teeth cleaned. Maybe we'll ask the vet about her weird behavior. This morning it seemed like she might have had another mini seizure. I'm just guessing though. She was acting normally and then all the sudden ran back to the bedroom and started shivering on the bed. Five minutes later she was fine. Was this a panic attack, a seizure, or something else? It's really hard to tell with Dawn.

I'm glad the week is going quickly, but it's still a long time until October. I'm done with Summer.

Nautica is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4975

I keep looking for a break in the weather, but there is nothing on the horizon. Next Monday the temperature is supposed to reach 109 degrees. This is not good. It will probably be September before the temperature is in the 90's again and we won't have nice weather until mid October. I still wish I could hibernate like a bear until it got cool again, but that doesn't appear to be in the cards. To make matters worse, I heard that we are expected to have an unusually cold Winter this year. Jeez. We'll just go from one extreme to the other with maybe two weeks of Fall in between.

I've started seeing reports from the Orion Media Day that I didn't get invited to. Most of the launch photographers I know were there. So why didn't my application get accepted? Who knows. I'm just not down at Kennedy Space Center enough to be remembered or recognized. I write for a little British magazine that's nobody's heard of as well. I guess I should be glad I get invited at all. Truthfully, it's for the best that I haven't been traveling lately. I've had too many expenses this summer and I'm still trying to get all my bills paid. I'm just hoping that the air conditioner keeps working. That's all I need now is another big appliance repair bill.

We're still getting up very early so we can walk Dawn before it gets too hot. It should have been cool today. The sky was overcast and there was a nice breeze. I think some people to the north of us might have gotten a little rain, but unfortunately none of it reached Dallas. It wasn't even very humid this morning. It was just hot and very dry. The park department has mowed all the native prairie meadows because they present a fire hazard. Mowing the native prairie grasses is very rare. I've only seen it happen a few times before.

Every day is a repeat of the previous day. The temperature is the same. The sunrise walk is the same. My breakfast is the same and so is my daily trip to the gym. I don't know what I'd do differently though. My limited routine seems like a good way to fill up a day and very few things have captured my interest lately.  I lost interest in music years ago after the band broke up. I lost interest in making fine art prints after I'd had a few gallery shows. I wonder if my interest in astronomy was even real. I have absolutely no interest in looking at the stars here in Dallas. Going out at night is just a good way to get eaten alive by mosquitos and with all the light pollution you can't see anything anyway. Maybe it's a good thing I still like chasing rockets. Too bad it's so expensive.

The gym was crowded today. I think this heat wave is driving people indoors. I've never seen so many people at the gym around lunchtime. Usually this is when the place is empty. I still kept up a pretty good pace on the indoor track even though there were quite a few people walking and running. I did well on the basketball court as well. Unfortunately I didn't do so well finding a parking place. The parking garage was full today. Maybe I'll have better luck tomorrow.

I didn't accomplish much today. I got the inspection sticker placed on my windshield. This simple task took way too long because I'm hopelessly OCD and I wanted the sticker to be perfectly level. Hard to do on a curved windshield. I tried to find a better sprinkler to water a dry patch of grass in the back yard. We have lots of sprinklers but none of them work properly. I didn't do any laundry today because I did that to kill time yesterday. Tomorrow will be more of the same. It definitely won't be any cooler.

Lilly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4974

I can cross one more thing off my to-do list. I got the car safety inspected today and picked up my new window sticker. It doesn't seem like a year since I've done this, but time goes by quickly now. Safety inspections are much faster than they used to be. Probably the process is smoother now because I take my car to a little neighborhood garage instead of going to the Land Rover dealer. It used to take forever to get the car inspected at the dealership.

Each day seems a little hotter than the previous day. We take our sunrise walk earlier now, but it doesn't help much. The temperature never really cools down anymore. At least there's a breeze on these early morning walks. Even the breeze disappears later in the day. Dawn still enjoys these early morning walks. I do too. Pre dawn is about the only time when it feels comfortable outdoors anymore.

It's back to shredded wheat and fruit for breakfast again. There's a new restaurant in the neighborhood that I'm vaguely curious about, but I'm just not very hungry anymore. I think my restaurant breakfast days are over. It doesn't matter. I like my boring meals. A bowl of mini-shredded wheat with strawberries is pretty good. I always use half and half instead of regular milk and have a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice and a cup of coffee. How did I drink those huge breakfast smoothies for so many years? Things change, I guess. What I eat for breakfast has changed radically over the years. It will probably change again one of these days.

I didn't want to go to the gym too early so I did a load of laundry after breakfast to kill time. I ended up being early anyway because getting my safety inspection didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would. I've decided that I like going to they gym during the lunch hour because there are fewer people on the floor and I can almost always find a place in the parking garage. The car is much cooler on the way home when it's been inside the garage. 

I still complete the same unambitious routine every day. I try to walk three miles on the indoor track in under an hour. Yes, I know this is pretty slow. I then try to complete ten free throws on the basketball court in less than ten minutes. I still miss a lot more shots than I complete, but I'm getting better. I've added a few upper body exercise to improve my arm strength, but I really ought to do more. I usually leave the gym when I'm bored instead of when I'm tired.

Janet cleans the house on Monday afternoons, so I vacuumed the carpets so I wouldn't feel guilty just lying around while she was working. The house never stays clean long when you've got dogs. Dalmatians shed a lot and there's always dog hair everywhere. My standards are a lot lower than they should be. It seems like I was a lot neater when I was right out of architecture school. These days it's hard to care. Janet doesn't even like to come in the office because it is much messier than the rest of the house.

I'll put the new inspection sticker on my windshield tomorrow morning. I'll think about fixing the cracks in the living room ceiling, but I probably won't do anything. I've been staring at the mess for months now. I'm not even sure I can do these repairs myself, but I need to try. If I hire a tape and bed guy to do the job it will be a huge production and there will be dust everywhere. 

We'll still be under a heat advisory tomorrow. There's lots of rain in the Northeast but it's bone dry here. I wonder how long this can continue? We're setting records for triple digit temperatures now. This too will pass I guess. I just hope our air conditioner keeps working.

Lou is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4973

No surprises today. Since it was the weekend, we got up later than usual and then took Dawn on her morning walk. The heat has really reduced the number of people in the park. It's pretty empty even early in the mornings now. There aren't as many joggers and cyclists, but people are still walking their dogs.

After another big breakfast I checked my messages and went mall walking. The mall was having their annual auto show this week and the concourse was filled with new cars. Oddly there were almost no domestic cars on display. Other than an occasional Cadillac, all the cars were imports. I like cars so I had to look in the windows as I walked by. It didn't take long to notice that almost nobody uses in-dash GPS displays anymore. It seems like everyone just bolts an iPad to the dash. To my eye, this doesn't look very good, but what do I know. The car companies have probably done a lot of research and discovered that customers actually like having an iPad bolted to their dash.

The mall is constantly changing. The new two-story Nike store was finally open and the Longchamp store that sells expensive purses closed. Most of the stores had new window displays as well. I don't know why all this interest me, but it beats listening to people tell their physical therapists about their ailments while I'm walking around the indoor track at the gym. The mall was noticeably warmer today. I guess air conditioning units everywhere are struggling to keep ahead of this heat.

When I returned from the mall, Dawn was ready to go on her Sunday outing. She definitely remembers when it's time to do something for her. It was too hot for much of a walk, but we let her outside at the Sunday park so she could pee and then took her for ice cream. We never know whether we are going to get small cones or large ones. It seems to vary a lot depending on who's serving. It's too bad that the cones aren't as large as the picture on their logo, but they are still tasty. Dawn loves ice cream. I think she would be real disappointed if we ever dropped this ritual from our Sunday schedule.

There still isn't much that interests me this summer. I have a bad case of been there, done that. I don't even feel like going back to the observatory this year. In pervious years I would have been eager to spend some quality time out in West Texas. I'm still interested in space but it's way to expensive to hop on a plane every time there's a launch in Florida. I guess that leaves naps. I'm always up for an afternoon nap.

It's time to get my car safety inspected again. Maybe I'll do this tomorrow on my way to the gym, although I'll probably forget. One by one, all these chores eventually get taken care of. All I've really got on my calendar now are upcoming doctor's appointments. I hope I get selected to go to the OSIRIS-REx event at Johnson Space Center. It will give me something to do this Fall.

Margo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4972

Just a normal Saturday, doing my Saturday things. We're taking our sunrise walks earlier now to avoid the heat but it doesn't really help. It's already uncomfortably warm even before the sun comes up. At least there was a breeze this morning. A breeze always helps.

We had our big weekend breakfast this morning and then I got started on my grocery shopping. I had to get gas today and it was even more expensive than it was last week. It seems weird that the price has shot up so suddenly. Gas prices were a lot lower earlier this summer.

I'm still trying to find a replacement for my favorite beer. I try something new every week. Maybe I'll get lucky with this week's selection. I did get lucky in the seafood department at Central Market. Maryland Crabcakes were on sale. Yum. Janet and I both love these. I discovered that the hydroponically grown strawberries I got last week were exactly twice as expensive as Sam's Club strawberries. Oh, well. It's back to the regular strawberries.

After I put the groceries away I went to the gym. I like the gym on weekends because it is virtually empty. It's easy to find a spot in the parking garage and there are no trainers on the floor. I still go through my regular routine on weekends, but it seems more peaceful. I was slower on the indoor track today,  but oddly I was much better on the basketball court. I completed my ten free throws in record time today.

Dawn loves to sit out in the sun even on hot days like we've been having lately. I let her out when I returned from the gym and kept an eye on her so she wouldn't get overheated. Five or ten minutes outside is plenty of time in this weather. When I start to get hot, I know she's getting hot as well and we come back inside. Our air conditioner is still working well. Knock on wood. I really hope it doesn't break down this summer.

I read an article yesterday that said that short naps were good for the brain and could actually cause it to grow. Just what I wanted to hear. I usually take a short nap in the afternoon and today was no exception. Dawn doesn't run away as frequently now when I take a nap in the bedroom. I think that's a good sign. I'm not typically an optimistic person, but I do think that she'll eventually learn to trust me.

These weeks go so quickly now. It doesn't seem like a week since I've been mall walking, but it's almost time to go again. Mall walking is a nice change of pace from going to the gym. Both places are indoors and the air conditioning works well. We'll take Dawn for ice cream cones tomorrow, but it's way too hot for a mid-day walk during our Sunday outing. I think Dawn is fine with just getting ice cream.

I wish I could hibernate like a bear until Fall arrived. I keep looking at the weather forecast and all I see is an endless string of triple digit days.

Morgan is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4971

The heat wave continues. It's easy to see the changes the heat has brought on our sunrise walks. The grass in the meadows has turned dry and yellow. Some of the trees that aren't heat resistant are turning yellow and losing their leaves. Giant cracks are appearing in the soil as well. I've seen this before during hot summers and am always worried that a dog will step in one of these cracks and break a leg. It's going to take a lot of rain to reverse this damage. Unfortunately the rainy season doesn't return until October. It always seems to rain a lot during the State Fair.

Today was a bit different. After breakfast this morning I went to get a haircut. I guess I ought to be glad that I still have hair at my age. It's slowing turning white but it's still all there. I always feel better after a haircut and don't understand men who like beards and longer hair. I wore my hair a lot longer during my college years and early thirties but that was another universe. I can't even remember why I liked the things I did back then.

My stylist likes to chat, so I talk more during haircuts than I do for the rest of the month. Janet and I talk during our morning walks, but I'm usually silent for most of the day. This is a big change from my ad agency days, or even the early days of my company. I like it this way though. I find silence peaceful.

I went to the gym on the way home from my hair appointment. The gym is not very silent. It seems to be a social occasion for most people. Other people on the floor always seems to be chatting with each other. I think some of the older people hire a personal trainer just to have someone to talk to. To each his own I guess. I doubt that I will ever be a chatty person again. Janet and I are both quiet people.

The demolition crew is still causing a big racket down the street. I don't think this house wanted to be removed. They even took out the pool today. If the original owners were still alive they would have been horrified to see what happened to their home. The street is definitely changing. I hate to even think what it will look like twenty years from now.

Dogs are easy to please. Dawn remains excited when Janet comes home with groceries on Friday. She won't get excited at all when I do my own grocery shopping tomorrow. I'm sure Dawn knows that Janet always brings home the good stuff like cheese and sliced turkey. I tend to bring home garbage bags, Swiffer dusters, and beer. Maybe I can find something interesting for Dawn when I go to the store. 

Pebbles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4970

I think this heat has fried my brain. I can't think of anything I want to do. Basically I just get up every morning and repeat the previous day. Our sunrise walks are getting warmer and warmer. It was almost 90 degrees when we left the house this morning. These early walks are still the only time it makes any sense to go outside. I spend the rest of the day inside, hoping that the air conditioner keeps working.

I applied for the OSIRIS-REx astroid sample return event at Johnson Space Center this morning. Hopefully my application will be accepted. The astroid sample hasn't even returned to earth yet, so I guess everyone is being optimistic. I've been to Johnson Space Center before and the place is amazing. It doesn't cost much to fly to Houston either. We'll see what happens. I won't be returning to Titusville very soon anyway. The launches I am interested in attending have all been delayed.

In lieu of traveling I guess I'll just keep going to the gym every day. It's not very exciting, but it beats doing nothing. I'm getting a little faster going around the indoor track and I actually did pretty well shooting baskets today. I've added a few upper body exercises to my routine, but I could do a lot more if I had any motivation. These trips to the gym are still just a substitute for my walks in the park. The way the summer is going, it may be October before I can resume my long walks though. This has been a very hot summer. It could be worse though, although I'm not exactly sure how.

They are still knocking down the house up the street. There is not much value placed on older homes here in Dallas. I've seen some really nice places disappear in our neighborhood over the years. Our house will probably be knocked down when we're gone as well. The place is supposed to be architecturally significant, but that's not going to stop anyone. The house is small and people want big these days.

As usual, the afternoon was uneventful. I'm beginning to understand why Dawn spends so much time napping. What else do you do on a hot day? I took the trash out to the curb this evening, but that was about it. I wonder what I'm going to do with myself when I finish this blog? I've only got about a month left before I reach my goal.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day