Day 4779

What a dismal day. It was cold and raining when we woke up. It rained all day and it hasn't stopped yet. Needless to say, Dawn didn't get her sunrise walk. She didn't even want to go outside. I immediately started the pumps on the roof and prepared myself for the worst. At first I thought I was going to get lucky, but I set the buckets out anyway. I managed to finish breakfast before I started hearing the all too familiar sound of dripping water. The big leak today was located in the office, but I see some staining in the kitchen above Dawn's water bowl. I'm afraid there will be more leaks before this rain ends.

There wasn't much I could do today. I checked the weather radar frequently, but the storm was huge and covered much of Texas. It could have been worse I guess. At least we weren't getting snow like they are are in the panhandle or tornado warnings like they were in Houston. The roof blew off the animal shelter in Pasadena, Texas and all the dogs were left exposed to the weather. Hopefully things will be better tomorrow. I think the rain is supposed to end by midnight.

It was pretty clear that I wasn't going to get 20,000 steps today. A walk in the park was out of the question, so I reluctantly got in the car and went to the gym. You can tell I've become obsessed with getting my steps because I definitely do not like driving in the rain. I'm always glad for heated seats and a heated steering wheel on a cold day like this. I need new wiper blades though.

The gym was crowded today. I guess a lot of people had the same idea I had. I walked three miles around the indoor track to get my minimum 10,000 steps for the day and close all three rings on my Apple watch. At least I kept up a decent pace today. Usually I'm slow on the indoor track. I had planned to work on my upper body strength while I was at the gym, but after finishing my three mile walk I felt like I'd had enough. I did use the leg press for a bit, but didn't even bother shooting baskets. Rain really puts a damper on my mood.

There's going to be a NASA Social for the Crew 6 launch at the end of February and I can't decide whether to apply. NASA discontinued these events for social media influencers during the Covid years, but they are slowly starting to return. I've been to a few of these and sometimes they provide even better access than press credentials. Since I can't afford that many trips to Florida this year, I'll have to look at the 2023 launch schedule and see if there are more interesting things in the future. I'll think about it. I'm not even sure my application would be approved since NASA tends to favor newcomers now. I've already been to five of these NASA Socials.

I'm getting tired of listening to the roof leak drip. The leak isn't far from my desk and it's a constant reminder that the house needs a new roof. I still haven't decided on a roofing contractor. I have gotten several bids, but all have left something to be desired. Why is a flat roof so expensive. I may get one or two more bids, but I really have to do something this year. Old houses and flat roofs aren't a good combination.

We probably will wait another week before visiting the rescue Dalmatians at their new kennel. The kennel said that Wednesday was the best day to visit. but it doesn't look like tomorrow is going to be a good day. I think we will be playing with the dogs outside and ir would be better to wait until the weather was warmer and the ground was dry.

I don't have big expectations for tomorrow. I just hope the roof stops leaking.

Holly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4598

Another day just like all the other days. If we haven't already set a record for consecutive one hundred degree days, we will soon. We see lots of people in the park on our sunrise walks now. The runners and cyclists have realized that this is the only time during the day when it is still enjoyable to be outdoors. The temperatures don't stay in the mid-80's for long. As soon as the sun comes up, it's off to the races.

I had my usual breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit and then headed straight for the gym. I went earlier than usual today because I knew we were going to visit the rescue Dalmatians in the afternoon. I'm getting better on the basketball court and occasionally can sink five or six baskets in a row. I'm worthless shooting from anywhere other than the free throw line though. No three point shots for me. Maybe I should broaden my horizons and try something new. Never mind. I'm content just shooting free throws.

I tried walking faster on the indoor track today and managed to match my outdoor speed. This was encouraging because I felt exactly the same after walking two miles as I did when walking slower. After getting my Fitbit steps, I spent a little time trying to strengthen my shoulder. Regaining any sort of flexibility won't be easy but it's worth a try. I really want to avoid any type of surgery. There are lots of older people at my gym and I frequently see them going through physical therapy after a knee replacement. No thank you. I'd rather keep the aging joints I already have.

The Dalmatians enjoyed seeing us today. None of them seemed to have their usual energy, but it was understandable since it was so hot. The kennel has air conditioning, but just about everybody's AC system is having trouble keeping things cool in these insanely high temperatures. I'm sure we'll see the dogs again, but this was the last time at this particular kennel. I'm sorry to see things change, but I shouldn't have been surprised. Things always change. You've just got to adapt and move on.

I noticed that Twitter doesn't work on my computer anymore. It now requires a newer browser than I use. I don't really care about Twitter and seldom use it, but this is still a somewhat troubling turn of events. All my computers run older operating systems so I can continue to use my legacy software. I hate the subscription services that Microsoft and Adobe use now and refuse to use them. My older versions of Microsoft Word and Photoshop work just fine. They don't expire or require a subscription either. Now that malware, computer viruses, and hacking has become such a problem, manufactures just don't like dealing with older software. Increasingly, they are refusing to support anything other than their latest releases. This is not good news for me. I have no interest in upgrading my computers, software, or phone again. 

I found a giant spider in the office this evening. I hope it wasn't poisonous. I managed to kill the thing with a fly swatter, but it was troubling to see something like this inside. Where there is one bug there are usually more. I'm seeing more bugs inside this summer. I'm sure it has something to do with the heat. There have even been a few wasps in the living room. They fly in the back door when we let Dawn out. We've got bug spray for every type of bug now. There's one can for ants. Another for spiders. And a third for wasps and hornets. I'd like to live someplace where there were no bugs. I don't know where that would be though. Bugs are everywhere.

Dawn did well at training class tonight and won a ribbon again. I thought it would be to hot for her class, but Janet says it cools down after sunset and there is usually a breeze. All the dogs were fine. Dawn has finally learned to drink water from a water bottle too. Dawn really enjoys this class but I bet she'll enjoy it even more when the weather gets nicer.

I'm sure tomorrow will be very similar to today. I'm surprised that I can find enough to say for a blog post these days.

Deuce is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4597

It was a slow day. The big event of the day was giving Dawn a bath. She likes to roll around in the grass in the back yard and gets dirty incredibly quickly. It was a good time for a bath since we had just cleaned all the bedding on her favorite bed. Like most dogs, Dawn isn't fond of getting a bath, although she always seems to feel better after the ordeal is over. We gave up on bathing our dogs at home years ago and use one of those self-bathing places. It is much easier to bathe a large dog on one of those large raised tubs. After a bath and a nail trim, Dawn is good for another month. Sometimes I wish I only needed one bath a month. I've grown to hate getting wet

The day started as usual with a sunrise walk with Dawn. It was nice this morning. The humidity was low and there was a gentle breeze. It was so pleasant outside that I thought seriously about taking a walk in the park instead of going to the gym. That didn't last long. When I went outside to check on the weather after breakfast, it was already too hot. In just one hour the temperature had already gone up over six degrees.

Before going to the gym I wrote a NASA contact with some questions about the upcoming Artemis-1 launch. I was amazed that I got an answer later the same day. Although the trip is still over a month away, it seems like I will be leaving soon. I'm not a spontaneous traveler and it takes me a while to get ready. The trip to Titusville should be a piece of cake by now since I've been there many times before. Nope. I still fret about what cameras and clothes to take and wonder how everything will fit in a small carry on bag. I'm not a great traveler.

I went to the gym as soon as it opened. There wasn't much else to do. I still wonder why the gym parking lot is always full when there are typically very few people on the gym floor. There must be something else going on that I don't know about. I know they have classes in another nearby building. The cars could belong to employees, but I seldom see over five employees when I'm there. I guess I could ask someone. That's not my style though. I'll just wonder about this for years.

I thought about practicing with the star tracker this afternoon. There is already a new version of the iPhone app available. I ended up doing nothing. I'm already starting to tire of experimenting with this thing and wonder if I will ever put it to good use. I've had the tracker for many months and so far I have only taken one decent picture of the night sky. It's a useful tool to have around though. As long as the tracker is still under development, it always gives me something to do on a slow day.

Janet and I may go visit the rescue Dalmatians again tomorrow. The kennel is closing soon and we will be moving the dog to a new location. We're still not sure if we'll be able to play with the dogs regularly at the new place, so we wanted to see everyone again before the move. The rest of the day will be just like today. There will definitely be a sunrise walk with Dawn and a trip to the gym.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4596

I made my reservations for the Florida trip today. When I was finished, I turned on the radio and discovered that there was an active shooter inside the airport I will be flying out of. Jeez. Nothing appears to be safe these days. The entire airport was evacuated and flights were delayed for hours. The story probably didn't even make the national news because nobody got killed. Events like this have become entirely too common.

Even though my travel arrangements for the Artemis-1 launch have been made, I will probably have to reschedule everything several times before I leave. Even worse, I might have to reschedule after I'm on my on my way. Launch schedules are notoriously unreliable. There are too many variables and something is almost guaranteed to change. The good news is that I have finally learned to expect these things. One way or another the launch will eventually take place and I will be there.

It was another hot day in a long string of hot days. Our sunrise walks with Dawn always give us a preview of what the day will be like. I really wish I was more of a morning person and didn't stay up so late writing this blog. It is warm just before the sun comes up, but temperatures in the mid-80's are still tolerable. If there is a breeze it actually feels nice outside. Dawn enjoyed her walk this morning and had a lot more energy than I did. I felt like going back to bed.

Janet and I visited the rescue Dalmatians this afternoon. Nobody got adopted this week, but all the dogs were in good spirits. We got a new football toy for Charlie because he was starting to chew the cover off the old one. He seemed to know that this toy was for him and got very excited. We have learned all the dogs personalities by now. Each of the boys are completely different, but all are a lot of fun. JoJo still likes to spend his time outside in the sweltering heat. Willie initially jumps around like a bucking bronco before he settles down and just wants to be petted. Rocket has become quite the gentleman. He has overcome his fear and like to play now. Spot is very gentle and we predict that he will be the next to get adopted. He was still wearing a cone today because he was neutered recently. Cooper was back at the kennel today. He still remembered us. Cooper has already been adopted, but was boarding at the kennel for the day. Did I forget anybody? Probably. I'm always forgetting something these days.

I went to the gym this afternoon after we returned from the kennel. The place was surprisingly crowded and I had trouble finding a parking place. I guess I'm not the only one looking for an escape from the heat.    Usually the younger people are still at work when I tend to go to the gym. The place is typically filled with folks a little older than I am. Some of these people can barely move while others have much more energy than I do.  There is a lot of determination in the room. I guess this is encouraging. I'd like to think that I could still go to the gym ten years from now.

I still can't decide whether to put my name on a wait list for the Otto Struve special viewing night at the observatory. People often need to cancel when making plans so far in advance. I wish I'd gone ahead and made a reservation last week. There aren't many opportunities to look through this telescope. I don't know if I need another opportunity to make the long drive to West Texas though. It was my turn to drive to the kennel this afternoon and even that short drive seemed long to me. Basically, I just don't like to drive anymore.

I hope I receive a schedule from NASA soon. All I have now is a very short note saying that I have been accepted to attend the launch. I like certainty and it makes me nervous when things are up in the air. Maybe I was flexible once, but those days are long gone. I like having a list I can follow. If someone doesn't provide me with a list, I will usually end up making one myself. 

Smokey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4595

After failing again to find a hotel anywhere near Kennedy Space Center, I thought I'd try Airbnb. I've never used Airbnb before and had no idea what to expect. So far it's been a pleasant surprise. I was able to find a nice place in a convenient location for less than I've been used to paying at Titusville hotels. The host is very friendly and has been able to answer all my questions. The website provides lots of pictures of the property and there are informative comments from previous visitors. I hope this works out. It might be a whole new way to travel.

Our heat wave continues unabated. We had a nice sunrise walk with Dawn because there was a breeze this morning. The park was busy even though it was very early. I think everyone has finally learned that this is the only decent time to be outside. Janet and I had a big weekend breakfast and then I took my long walk. I would have preferred going to the gym, but it isn't open on Sunday. Even though I got started before 9 AM, it was already getting hot. I was able to complete my entire route, but I was slower than I was yesterday. By the time I returned home the temperature was almost 100 degrees. I don't know when this is going to end. The forecast shows a long string of 100 degree days for the rest of the month. By the time this summer is over, I'm almost certain that we will have set an all time record for sustained high temperatures.

Despite the high temperatures, Dawn got her Sunday outing. We still take her to the Sunday park, but we only get out of the car for a few minutes to let Dawn smell things. The Sunday outing is mostly about the ice cream now. The ice cream store has raised their prices recently, but the cones certainly aren't any bigger. The place does a good business so you wouldn't think they'd need to raise prices, but what do I know. I'm sure their cost of supplies has gone way up. You've got to do what you've got to do to keep your doors open these days. I'm just glad I'm retired. This isn't a great time to be running a small business.

I hope that NASA provides me with a schedule soon. It's really hard to make reservations when I don't know when I need to arrive. Sometimes you pick up your credentials the day before the launch. Other times it is several days before the launch. Usually there is only about a three hour window to pick up press badges, so if you miss the designated time slot, you are out of luck and you aren't going anywhere. Right now, the only thing I know is the scheduled launch date. Of course there is no guarantee that the rocket will actually launch on this date. The weather could change or there could be any number of technical problems that could delay the launch. I'm trying to stay optimistic, but given the history of this rocket the launch might not take place until Christmas.

Snooze you lose. I waited too long to make a decision about the special viewing night at McDonald Observatory and when I looked this evening the special viewing night was no longer available. The event has sold out. Jeez. Last night there were still spaces available and today they are gone. I need to be more decisive. I wouldn't have had problems finding a hotel in Titusville if I'd made my reservations before learning whether I'd get press credential. I could have always canceled the reservations if NASA didn't accept my request. I'm sure other people do this all the time. I could have also made reservations for the special viewing night at the Otto Struve telescope and canceled them if I decided later that I wasn't up for the long drive. I have a hard time doing things like this though. I'm not a competitive person and hate the idea that I have to compete with other people who might want to do the same things as me. I also tend to procrastinate on everything I do. Oh, well. It is what it is. I would have had a hard time affording back to back trips to Florida and West Texas anyway.

It looks like we'll be visiting the rescue Dalmatians again tomorrow. I don't think anyone got adopted this week, but we'll find out when we get there. I'll probably go to the gym after we return from the kennel. It's just too hot to try another walk in the park. Have I learned my lesson about being indecisive and waiting too long to make decisions? Probably not.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4589

Still fighting the heat. It was already 85 degrees when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk and the sun wasn't even up yet. Later in the day the temperature climbed to 109 degrees. Yikes. Needless to say I didn't spend a lot of time outdoors. After breakfast I wrote a letter to my sister and took it to the post office. That was about it for the morning.

We went and visited the rescue Dalmatians this afternoon. JoJo has been adopted, but is still at the kennel. He will be joining his new family soon. Rocket has made a remarkable transformation. He's gained weight, his coat looks much better, and he is no longer fearful. It's hard to believe that all this has happened in less than a month. Rocket even plays with toys now. They used to scare him. Willie still enjoys being petted more than playing and Charlie still does his best to wear us out with all his energy. Spot, our new guy, is very relaxed and extremely friendly. I bet he finds a home soon. We took Spot back to the vet on our way home today because he needed to have his teeth cleaned.

I still had time to go to the gym after we returned from visiting the kennel. They have reinstated their mask mandate but I don't understand the logic. You have to wear a mask when you enter the building, but you can take it off as soon as you are on the exercise floor. This means that most people keep their masks on for about ten seconds. I didn't really do a lot today, but I did get my steps. I walked two miles on the indoor track and shot fifteen free throws on the basketball court. I'm still surprised that the same people seem to be at the gym no matter what time of day I arrive. Some of these folks must live there.

I got a quick reply from the Benro Polaris people regarding my camera connection problems. They weren't much help this time and just suggested that I might have a bad cable. Nope. The cables are fine. The problem is with the new firmware update. I shouldn't have installed this latest upgrade. The previous update was working fine. This is what happens when you get bored and have too much time on your hands. Maybe if I can get this problem fixed I will finally learn my lesson and just leave the problematic star tracker alone.

I hate to think what our electric bill is going to be next month. Our air conditioner has been running nonstop for days now. It takes all night to cool the place down and then as soon as the sun comes up, it starts to warm up again. I wonder how long this can continue without something breaking? I'll probably be going back to the gym for the rest of the summer. I don't like the drive, but the gym is nice and cold. I wish I could keep our house as cold as this gym. No wonder the regulars spend a lot of time here.

No big plans for tomorrow. I hope it's a little cooler, but I'm not counting on it.

Beemer is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4561

I had trouble getting up this morning. I guess I stayed up too late finishing my blog post after the birthday celebrations. When we took our sunrise walk with Dawn I could tell that this wasn't going to be a good day for walking in the park. The temperature was already in the high 80's and it was quite humid.

It looks like it's going to be a long, hot summer so it's time to get serious about keeping everything in the yard from dying. After breakfast I went and bought a new hose and several sprinklers so I could water the front and back yards. It seems like I have to do this every year. Sprinklers just don't last very long. I sprayed WD-40 on last year's sprinklers, but they still wouldn't turn. I wasn't very surprised.

I was surprised when there was a loud knock at my front door this morning. I usually ignore people at the front door, but these guys were persistent. When I went outside to investigate, I found two delivery guys with another dishwasher. WTF? The big box was exactly the same as the new dishwasher that was already installed over a week ago. "Dude," I told these guys. "You already delivered this dishwasher over a week ago.  It's already been installed and is working fine." "No problem," one of the delivery guys told me and they hauled the dishwasher box back to the truck while grumbling about the mixup. Later in the day I got a voice message on my phone. This is just a courtesy call the voice said, to inform you that your recent delivery was declined. I have no idea how the store got things so screwed up. I'll have to check my credit card bill and make sure that they didn't charge me for two dishwashers.

We visited the rescue Dalmatians right after lunch today. I heard that someone might be looking at one of the dogs, but the same five boys are still there. Charlie, Oliver, Willie, JoJo, and Rocket are all doing fine. Rocket is recovering well from his heartworm treatment and was in good spirits today. Rocket has come a long way from the day we first met him. His skin condition has cleared up and his coat looks great now. He's overcome his severe shyness as well. He is well on his way to becoming a very normal, friendly dog. Janet and I are still surprised that Oliver hasn't found his forever home yet. This goofy guy seems like he would be a perfect family dog. We couldn't believe that JoJo still wanted to play in the outdoor yard today. It was so hot. It didn't seem to bother JoJo though. This dog just doesn't like being indoors.

My plan today was to go to the gym when we returned from the kennel. I was just about to get in the car and leave when I remembered a small hand written sign on the gym's front door saying that they would be closed on Monday, June 20 in observance of Juneteenth. Since my memory isn't so great, I went back in the house to check the website. The website said everything was still open. I then called the gym and nobody answered. My call just got routed to voicemail. This was a pretty good sign that the place was closed. I don't know why nobody bothers to update their websites anymore. This has happened to me before at this gym. Once burned, twice shy I guess. I used to manage dozens of websites and made daily changes to many of them. It's not that hard to keep things up to date. Hey, why bother though when a hand written sign on the front door will do.

It was kind of an odd day. Especially the part about the dishwasher delivery. It was nice to see the Dalmatians again. It would be even nicer if they would all find their forever homes soon.

Alamo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4554

Yay. We have a new dishwasher. I don't know how to use it yet, but I'll worry about that later. I'm glad I had a good plumber install this thing. Nothing is as easy as it seems and there were some complications on the installation that the Home Depot delivery crew would have probably just given up on. I wish modern electronics weren't so complicated. Old major appliances were simple and lasted forever. Everything nowadays basically has a computer inside and tends to break quickly. Our old dishwasher had a single round dial on the front. This new one looks like the control panel on the space shuttle. 

The big difference on this new machine is that there is no heater coil at the bottom of the tub to dry the dishes. This new dishwasher uses super hot water on the final rinse and then somehow vents away the moisture inside. It sounds like the dishes just air dry to me, but what do I know. I need to get some of that rinse-aid liquid that prevents streaks on glasses tomorrow. The instructions say that you need to use this stuff to ensure effective drying. Why so complicated? I would have much rather had the old fashioned electric heating coil on the bottom of the tub. Oh, well. It is what is is. Maybe I made the wrong choice but I really didn't have many options. Most dishwashers are 24" wide. The space available in my cabinet was slightly smaller than this. The LG model I bought was 23.75" wide and barely fit. The reviews on this machine were very good, although some people were frustrated about the strange drying system. I may be one of those people.

It turned out to be a very busy day. While the plumbers were here I had them fix a few other things around the house as well. There was an outdoor faucet in the back yard that had been leaking for years and a rubber cap on a drain access line that leaked even worse. Too bad they couldn't fix my strange French toilet. Parts just aren't available for that thing anymore. The plumbers were on time and everything went relatively smoothly, so we were still able to visit the rescue Dalmatians this afternoon. This whole dishwasher episode ended up costing more than I expected, but what else is new. Everything costs more than you expect these days.

The Dalmatians are all doing well. We didn't play with Rocket today because he is still recovering from his heartworm treatment. Charlie, Willie, Oliver, and JoJo were all in fine form though. I don't know why JoJo still wanted to go outside on a day like this. It was way too hot, but JoJo insists on playing outside. The other dogs were smart enough to stay in the air conditioned indoor play area. 

By the time we returned from the kennel it was way too hot to even consider walking in the park. It even seemed too hot early this morning when we were taking Dawn on her sunrise walk. I went to the gym instead. I was surprised at how many people were at the gym this afternoon. It was probably the weather. Something was wrong with the air conditioning system on the main floor today, but it was still much cooler than it was outside. I didn't stay long today. I just shot some hoops on the basketball court, walked a mile or so on the indoor track, and used the rowing and the abdominal crunch machines. Maybe I'll go back tomorrow, but I hope it is cool enough in the morning so I can walk in the park instead.

They say it's going to be a very hot summer. It certainly looks like we are headed in that direction. I just hope we don't have blackouts or major power outages this summer. With everything else that is going wrong in the world, a lack of electricity might just be enough to push me over the edge. 

Marcie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4553

Our heat wave continues. It's hard to get very interested in doing anything when it's so hot outside. It never realy cooled down last night and was still warm when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk. This was still the best part of the day. As the sun got higher in the sky the temperature just kept rising.

We always have a big breakfast on weekends and as soon as we finished I started on my long walk. I soaked my hat in water before I left the house and hoped for the best. It's a shame that my gym isn't open on Sunday anymore. This always used to be my favorite day to go to the gym. Oh, well. The walk wasn't bad for the first two miles, but by by the time I reached the halfway point and started heading home again, it was getting pretty hot. I got my steps though. Somehow it still seems important to make an effort.

I was informed when I bought the dishwasher that I had a 48 hour window after delivery to inspect it for damage. After that, I'm stuck with the thing whether it works or not. I called customer service this morning to try to get an extension. I explained that I didn't want to take the dishwasher out of the box until someone knowledgable arrived to install it. I wouldn't even know what to look for if there was some kind of internal or mechanical damage. I guess my explanation made sense, because the service guy gave me an extension until Tuesday afternoon after talking to his supervisor. It seems like you have to talk to your supervisor before you can do anything these days. Hopefully I can get a plumber to install the dishwasher tomorrow. I really want to put this chapter in my life behind me.

Dawn did get her Sunday outing today, but it was a bit different. It was way too hot to take our regular walk in the park on the hill, so we just let her walk around in the grass and sniff things for a few minutes before heading for the ice cream store. This seemed fine to Dawn. She peed, smelled a few bushes, and headed back to the car. I thought the ice cream store would be crowded today since it was so hot, but there was only one car ahead of us. Not many people were out and about at all. The roads were pretty quiet. I guess most people just stayed inside today. I can't say that I blame them. The only time we saw many people today was when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk. I guess we aren't the only folks who realized this is the is the only decent time to go outdoors during a heat wave.

Whenever I try to take a nap on the bed when Janet isn't home, Dawn gets up and leaves the room. She sits just outside the bedroom door and watches to see if I'm still there. If I don't leave in a timely fashion she eventually starts to cry. Not surprisingly, this makes me feel bad. Today I just took my nap on the sofa in the living room. Dawn stayed in the bedroom and seemed happy enough. I wish I knew what caused this behavior. I'm a normal member of the family when Janet is in the house. When Janet is gone, I'm someone to be feared. The behavior changes instantly as soon as Janet enters the front door. It's going to be interesting when Janet goes on vacation. Dawn eventually calmed down the last time Janet went on vacation, but it took several days.

I thought about taking the Havahart trap outside today since the rat is probably still around somewhere. I almost instantly realized that this was a terrible idea, since all the trap would catch is squirrels. There seem to be hundreds of squirrels in our yard since we have large trees. I think I have distant memories of trapping squirrels before when I was trying to catch mice. Squirrels are always eating and they seem to love whatever I bait the trap with.

I'm not sure if I'll be visiting the Dalmatian kennel tomorrow. It all depends. I have a feeling that I'll be sitting around waiting for the plumber most of the day. This is assuming that I can even get a plumber to come out tomorrow. We'll see. I'm trying to remain optimistic at this point.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4548

We went back and visited the rescue Dalmatians today. Rocket was at the vet beginning his heartworm treatment, but Charlie, Oliver, Willie, and JoJo were all glad to see us. Each of these boys has their own distinct personality and favorite toys. Charlie knows the most commands and always wants to have a toy in his mouth. He likes to race around with a rope octipus thrashing it from side to side. Oliver is the best at retrieving things and will always bring a ball or toy back to you so you can throw it again. There is a large ball that makes funny noises that Willie likes to play with, but he mostly likes to just sit next to you and be petted. JoJo doesn't like being inside and always takes his favorite red ball to the outside play yard. Even though it was hot today, he still prefered being outside. They all like the treats we bring and some can catch them from a considerable distance. We had a good time today. These visits are good for the dogs and good for us as well.

It looks like I'm going to have to buy another expensive battery. Now the battery in the UPS backup system for the television and fiber optic network has gone bad. Everything still works, but the network would go down immediately during a power outage. The batteries for these systems are basically lead/acid motorcycle batteries. They're cheaper than a car battery, but a lot more expensive than a flashlight battery. I wonder if people who own electric cars realize how much of a problem batteries are? Most of these cars are still pretty new. Wait until they are ten years old and all start needing new batteries.

Since I knew that we would be visiting the Dalmatians today, I didn't think there would be time to go to the gym. I took my long walk right after breakfast when the temperature was still cool. In theory this was a good plan since it was quite nice outside when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk. It warms up quickly when the sun is out though, and I walk pretty slow. By the time I returned home from my two hour walk, I was thinking that I'd better start going to the gym every day. I don't handle the heat well, and it is definitely Summer now.

I didn't catch the rat last night. In fact, I haven't even seen it since I put the Havahart trap out in the atrium.  Maybe this rat doesn't like cheese. I'll leave the trap out for about a week and if I don't catch it by then I'll have to come up with a plan B.  If the atrium didn't seem like part of the house it would be a lot easier to just ignore it. There are a ton of rats in the park and I'm sure that this one isn't the only one in our yard. I'm convinced that there are lots of critters in our yard at night that we don't even know about. Luckily I don't see snakes very often. There are quite a few possums and raccoons though. There are coyotes nearby, but we've never seen one in the yard. Live and let live is the best policy for all of these animals, but I definitely don't want a rat in the house.

I'll be glad when the new dishwasher is installed. I'm getting tired of mopping up the leak every morning before I eat breakfast. It's not a bad leak. Just enough to remind me that there is a problem. I guess I could start washing dishes by hand for a while, but it is much easier to just mop up the water. One advantage of having brick floors is that it is really hard to damage them.

I don't really have any plans for tomorrow. Truthfully, I don't have any plans for the rest of the Summer. It's too bad that travel has gotten so expensive. There's a lot going on at Kennedy Space Center right now. I wouldn't mind going back to Titusville again.

Domino is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4533

We're getting to know the remaining rescue Dalmatians pretty well. Each of these dogs has their own distinctive personality. Charlie can go from calm to chaos in a fraction of a second. He's one of the smartest dogs we've known, but he definitely isn't a lap dog. He loves to show off and we've been able to teach him some amazing tricks. Oliver is a goofy clown who will fetch a toy or ball for hours. He's the only one who will bring the toy back to you so you can throw it again. Jo Jo is a gentle giant who prefers to be outdoors. He won't play in the indoor play area, but take him outside and it's a completely different story. He likes to hide his ball, even though it's always in plain sight. He's the only one who likes to climb up on a bench so you can pet him at eye level. Willie likes to play with a weird plastic ball that makes funny noises when it rolls along the floor. He prefers being petted to playing though. He's super affectionatee with people but doesn't seem to get along with other dogs. Rocket is a shy boy who is making amazing progress. He didn't even know how to play at first, but is definitely starting to enjoy playing with rope toys. They all love the treats we bring. It's a shame that these boys haven't been adopted yet. Each of their unique personalities would be perfect for some lucky person.

Today was unusually busy for a Monday. I paid some bills after breakfast and our early morning walk with Dawn. Then I shut off the computer and took the heavy uninterrupted power supply to the Interstate store to get the batteries replaced. I was hoping that the dead batteries would still be under warranty, but time flies and they were already two years old. No free batteries this time. I was amazed at how much prices had gone up since the last time I had to replace UPS batteries. The two batteries in the unit cost $95. That's more than double what the same batteries cost several years ago. Oh, well. One more sign that we are living in a crumbling, dystopian universe.

The weather was quite a bit cooler today and it would have been a good day to walk if my feet were cooperating. I joined Janet and Dawn on an afternoon walk after we returned from the kennel, but I felt like returning to the house with Dawn after she finished her short one mile loop. I did walk a little further, but not much. Even counting Dawn's two walks, I didn't even complete four miles today. Maybe I overdid things last week. Maybe my Hoka shoes are wearing out again. Who knows. My feet are definitely bothering me more than usual though.

Dawn is a funny monkey. When Janet is away she won't come out of the bedroom while I am fixing her dinner. I have to get everything ready and then return to the office before she will come out and eat. When Janet is home it's completely different story. She's a bossy little thing who is right out in the kitchen with me, barking at me constantly to hurry up and get her supper ready. I wish she was more comfortable being alone with me, but it is what it is. I'm sure Dawn has her reasons for all of this.

There has been rain in the forecast for several days, but I think it's finally going to start raining later tonight. I hope this current forecast is wrong because it shows an all day rain tomorrow which extends into Wednesday. It's a shame that we typically get all our rain for the year in one month. We've had plenty of rain lately and everything is green, but it will be bone dry again by July and August. An all day rain conjures up visions of roof leaks. I hope the pumps are still working.

There's already a new update for the star tracker. I'm afraid to install it though because it might break the fix the Benro folks sent me a few weeks ago. I'd hate to go back to square one again. I should leave well enough alone, but if I'm stuck inside on a rainy day, curiosity might get the better of me and I could end up installing the update anyway. Curiosity killed the cat, or so they say.

Willie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4526

I thought we were going to get a bad storm last night, but it passed slightly to the East of us. We experienced a few minutes of strong straight line winds, but got very little rain. Needless to say, I didn't see last night's lunar eclipse. I expect the rain. What I didn't expect was a power outage. The power went out several hours after the storm had passed. I probably wouldn't have noticed but Dawn woke us up. This strange dog isn't bothered by thunder and lightning, but power outages freak her out. I called in the outage to the power company and tried to get back to sleep. Dawn wasn't about to go back to sleep. She sat on the middle of the bed in high alert mode for what seemed like hours.

It seemed a bit ironic that just after we had fixed the air conditioner and bought some new fans, we didn't have any electricity. Both the AC and the fans were useless. We could feel the temperature rising in the house almost immediately, but at least the outage happened during the middle of the night when things were cooler. If we lived in a safe place, I would have opened the doors and windows so we could get some air circulation. That's not going to happen in the city though. Eventually I went back to sleep and hopefully so did Dawn.

The power was back on in the morning, but it must have been off for about four hours because that's how far the clocks were off. I reset everything, turned off the washer and dryer which somehow come on automatically after an outage, and got ready for our early morning walk with Dawn. Everything is back to normal again. Last night wasn't what I expected though. I was hoping to view an eclipse.

When we went up to the kennel to visit the rescue Dalmatians today, we discovered that Willie was back. This was disappointing, but sometimes things just don't work out. Willie is a very sweet dog who is going to find a great home, but it looks like he will need to be the only dog in the family. It was hot today and everyone wanted to stay inside except for Jo Jo. This dog definitely prefers playing outdoors. We continue to be impressed at how well Rocket is adjusting to his new life. He seems like a normal dog now. After everyone had their play time and lots of treats, we headed back home. It was my turn to drive today and I kept thinking how much nicer it was out in the Davis Mountains. I like a road with no cars on it.

There was plenty of time to take a long walk this afternoon, but I wasn't feeling up to the task. It was just too hot outside. After walking a a little more than a mile I headed for home again. Since Dawn walked a little longer this morning, I managed to eek out a total of four miles today. It wasn't much, but it kept my Fitbit happy. I don't think we're going to see cool weather for quite a while. This strange May heat wave will eventually end, but it's Summer now. Summers in Texas are always hot.

As usual, I have no plans for tomorrow. I'll probably think of something, but I hope it doesn't involve the star tracker. I'm getting sick of that thing. I anticipate more power outages this summer, but lets hope there isn't another one tonight. I need to catch up on my sleep.

Liberty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4519

It's starting to feel a lot like Summer. When you feel a little warm on the pre-dawn sunrise walk, you know it's going to be a hot day. It looks like the temperature is going to be in the 90's all week snd that's definitely too warm for me. Jeez. How did I handle this last year? It looks like I'm going to have to get used to Summer all over again.

There are only four Dalmatians at the kennel now. The others have all been adopted. Charlie, Oliver, Rocket, and Jo Jo were all glad to see us. We were really impressed with the progress Rocket has made. When he first arrived at the kennel, he was scared of everything and completely unsocialized. Now, he wags his tail and comes over to greet us. He's a smart dog and it didn't take long to teach him to sit. We're going to work on teaching him to lie down and a few other commands next week. 

I'm surprised that Oliver and Jo Jo haven't been adopted yet. They are good looking, have great personalities and are definitely ready to go to their forever homes. It's going to take a little longer for Charlie to find a home, but he's turned over a new leaf. I think his biting days are over. One of these days Charlie is going to find a wonderful home with someone who understands his unique personality. Charlie always makes us laugh. He's really a great little dog.

By the time we returned from the kennel it was almost too hot to take another walk. I tried, but ended up walking just enough to satisfy my Fitbit with a minimum of 10,000 steps. I'm not sure what I'm going to do the rest of the week. I may have to start going back to the gym. I don't really like walking on an indoor track, but they keep the place nice and cool. I have a feeling that I started going to the gym in the first place because of the air conditioning.

I got a reply from the Polaris folks about my star tracker. It's hard to communicate with these guys, The instructions they sent this time seemed strange and unlike anything I've tried before. I'm suspicious. The file I am supposed to upload to the tracker is in Chinese too and I'm not entirely sure what it is. I haven't done anything yet because I don't want to brick the thing. I wrote the guy I usually talk to and explained the situation. Maybe he can help me make sense of things. I don't know why I'm still convinced that I'll eventually get this thing to work. It's been a long, slow process so far.

My latest toilet repair didn't last long. The toilet is already running again. I'm not sure I can fix this thing anymore. Plumbers are no help either. They won't work on the strange toilet. The problem with an old house is when you fix one thing, something else breaks. I'm tired of fixing things. I'd like to live someplace where everything was guaranteed to work perfectly for at least ten years.

I hope I don't succumb to temptation and try to apply the weird patch to my star tracker tomorrow. I have a strong feeling that it will only make things worse.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4512

There are only four Dalmatians at the kennel now. Dorothy found her forever home this week. Sammy has not been staying at the kennel since she's been busy raising eleven puppies. The puppies are all weaned now and ready to go to their new homes, so Sammy was able to go to her forever home this week as well. Rocket is the only one of our puppy mill dogs that has not found a home yet. He will soon though. He is overcoming his fears and each week we see him he acts more and more like a normal dog.

We are really pleased with Rocket's progress. He has gone from a terrified dog who wouldn't even come near us, to a much happier dog who wags his tail and runs to greet us when we arrive with a bag of treats. We even managed to teach Rocket to sit today, which was a major accomplishment.

We know why it is going to take Charlie a little longer to find a home, but it's a mystery why Oliver and Jo Jo haven't already been adopted. Both dogs are some of the friendliest we've ever had in the program. Oliver loves to play and Jo Jo just wants attention. Maybe people want a smaller dog. Oliver and Jo Jo are both larger male Dalmatians. Maybe their luck will change soon. All these dogs really deserve a great home.

I spent a big chunk of today unpacking and doing laundry from the trip. Everything is back in it's proper place now and ready for the next adventure. It's a shame that travel has become so expensive. I wouldn't mind spending more time at McDonald Observatory as well as Kennedy Space Center. You may wonder why I spend so much time at these two locations. The answer is easy. They feel like home. I avoid people in Dallas, but I always find folks that seem like kindred spirits at the observatory and the space center. Rocket launches and the night sky never get old to me. I'll keep going back because it is just more satisfying than visiting someplace new as a tourist.

I went to the bank today and picked up prescriptions for myself and Dawn. When I went to pick up my prescription at the pharmacy, I was confused. "Didn't I just pick up this same pill last week," I asked. The pharmacist checked and sure enough I was right. It turned out that I had two separate prescriptions for the same medicine. One renewed in 30 days and the other renewed in 90 days. "Let's just cancel the 30 day prescription," I said. One more example of automated systems run amok. For some reason neither my doctor or the pharmacist ever noticed that there were two identical prescription floating around in the system.

Almost every day something we need goes up in price. It's not just travel expenses. My storage warehouse had a dramatic price increase this year. Real estate taxes are up. The cell phone bill keeps getting higher even though I don't make any calls. Today I got a letter from my primary care doctor saying that the clinic was going to raise rates again in July. Concierge doctors were always expensive, but this is getting ridiculous. I'm just glad I'm not trying to buy a house. Housing is what has really gotten ridiculous.

Dawn didn't want to walk this morning because it rained last night. She's a strange dog. The thunder and lightning last night didn't bother her at all, but getting her paws wet is another story. She just doesn't want to walk on wet ground. By the time Janet and I returned from the kennel, the weather was nice again and we had a nice walk with Dawn. As I often do, I continued walking after Dawn finished her one mile loop. I guess I'm still tired from my trip because I couldn't complete my regular six mile route. Maybe I'll have to change the name of this blog from "Some Assembly Required" to "Perpetually Tired."

Bogart is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4505

For the second day in a row we visited some Dalmatians. The dogs at the kennel were in fine form today. This week Candy and Willie joined Julip in finding their forever homes. Dorothy has a potential adopter as well, although she and Willie were still at the kennel this afternoon. Rocket is really making progress at overcoming his fear. He would come when we called him today and was eager to take cookies from us. His skin condition continues to improve as well. Willie is very affectionate and enjoys being petted more than playing. He's a smart dog and we were able to teach him to lie down during our visit. Dorothy is the athlete of the bunch. She can catch anything and never missed when we tossed her toys. When we first met Jo Jo we didn't think he liked to play, but it turns out that he just likes to play outside. We'll spend more time outside with him now. Oliver is still a goofy clown who always makes us laugh and Charlie is starting to show a mellower side to his personality. We always spend a little more time with Charlie because he seems to enjoy our visits so much. It's nice that these dogs are finally starting to find their forever homes. We probably won't see Willie again, but we will definitely remember him.

It rained a lot last night, but it wasn't a bad storm. Dawn wasn't wild about walking this morning because the ground was still wet. She definitely doesn't like getting wet. A handful of treats kept her moving however and we were able to complete our walk. There was really no reason for Dawn to be upset this morning. The rain had stopped and the roads were already starting to dry out.

I got a press proof this morning of my article about the Axiom-1 Mission. It looked good and will run in the June edition of Spaceflight. I had thought about writing an article about the Dark Sky Festival for Sky and Telescope while I was out in West Texas, but it turns out that one of my friends at the observatory is already working on an article about this for the magazine. It's just as well. He know a lot more about the newly created Dark Sky Preserve than I do anyway.

I should have been packing today, but I can't seem to manage planning ahead. I always wait until the last possible minute and end up forgetting things. I've thought about the trip a lot, but haven't actually put anything in a suitcase yet. I have tested my cameras though and transferred the files and applications I need to my laptop. I've made my rental car reservation and checked the weather at my destination. I guess this will all come together just like it always does. I'm still not looking forward to the drive though.

I didn't take a very long walk today. It was getting late by the time we returned from the kennel and I didn't really feel like walking anyway. I always make sure that I at least make an effort though. Life is basically about making an effort. Only 14,000 steps today and a lot of that was just playing with the dogs.

At least the wind has died down for a while. It wasn't windy at all when I walked today. Hope I can get some extra sleep tonight. I'm going to need it in the days ahead.

Pogo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4498

There was one less dog when we visited the kennel this afternoon. Julip has gone to her new home. Things are looking up for the Dalmatians. Potential adoptors have been looking at Candy and Oliver as well. Not surprisingly, there is a huge amount of interest in Sammy's puppies, but it's nice to see the adult dogs getting some interest as well. Hopefully more of our rescues will find their forever homes soon. Every one of of these dogs would make a great addition to some lucky family.

It's nice to see the progress the puppy mill dogs are making. Each week we visit they appear more well adjusted and normal. Rocket is much less fearful than he was when he entered the rescue program. He's become friends with one of the kennel attendants and is starting to show a playful side. Rocket won't play with Janet and I yet, but he will take cookies from us. He's definitely making progress and his skin is getting better too.  Candy is definitely calmer than she was last week. I think the person who has been thinking about adopting her has really helped. Basically, all these guys are decompressing, learning to trust, and starting to realize that life is much better than they ever thought it could be.

It was my turn to drive to the kennel this week and I tried to imagine seven hours of this on my upcoming drive to West Texas. Freeways are horrible now. The traffic is relentless and most of it consists of eighteen wheelers going as fast as they can. It is unnerving to be on a multi-lane freeway and have one of these huge trucks on either side of you. All things considered though, driving in town is still probably worse than the open road. On a busy day, even the supermarket parking lots are worse than the open road.

The weather was weird today. When we took Dawn on her early walk it was cold enough for winter coats again. The furnace was running when I woke up this morning. It warmed up quickly though. I only needed a light jacket when we visited the rescue dogs at the kennel and by the time I took my long walk later in the afternoon, I had to change to shorts and a t-shirt. Just another normal Texas day, I guess.

I got a tracking number on the camera part I ordered from China. It's coming by FedEx again. I hope I have better luck than I did with my last shipment from China. The star tracker was lost for so long that I thought I was never going to receive it. This time I am definitely not going to change the delivery location in route. In retrospect, that blunder played a big role in why the package was lost for so long.

My long walk was pretty short today. I think I overdid it yesterday. My feet bothered me quite a bit this afternoon and I saw no reason to punish myself. I only got 16,000 steps today and probably should have stopped when I passed the 10,000 mark. It's hard to stop on a nice day though. Although it was cold this morning, this afternoon was almost perfect.

Our Easter dinner tastes just as good as leftovers. Since there are only two of us, there are lots of leftovers. I"ll probably be eating Easter dinner all week. It's a good thing I like ham. I guess it's a good thing I like shredded wheat and berries as well. I might be eating this for breakfast forever. For some reason I just can't bring myself to go out for breakfast anymore. I can't bring myself to cook either. I used to cook elaborate breakfasts and even got one of my recipes in a cookbook once. Not anymore. Shredded wheat is just fine.

There's not much on the agenda for tomorrow. Sleeping in sounds good to me, but Dawn probably has other ideas.

Mattie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4491

Today was very busy. At least it was busy for me. After the usual sunrise walk with Dawn and my weekday breakfast of shredded wheat and berries, I finished my article for SpaceFlight Magazine. I also sorted through over a thousand pictures to find a selection to send to the magazine to accompany the article. I was fairly pleased with the results. The pictures looked great and I was able to write something to the magazine's requested length. One more article about life on the space coast is complete.

It looks like I'll be going out to Mcdonald Observatory after all. I finally got a confirmation of my reservation at the Astronomers Lodge today and after a bit of soul searching, I decided that I really should go out and volunteer again. Sure, I've got a lot of aches and pains and it definitely is a long drive, but it's only going to be worse next year. I tire easily and my feet hurt, but I'm still healthy. Who knows how long this will last. I guess I feel the same way about my trips to the observatory as I do about my daily walks. To stay at your best mentally and physically, you've got to keep moving. I can do this.

If inflationary pressures continue to get worse, the limiting factor for my travels might end up being the expense. My stay at the Astronomers Lodge will be more expensive this year. Their prices went up almost the same amount as my hotel in Titusville. I don't even want to think about what the rent car is going to cost. The price of rental cars has gotten ridiculous. For the moment I can justify the expense. I'd rather spend the money doing something I enjoy than watch it disappear in some future stock market crash.

Since today was Monday, Janet and I went up to the kennel and visited the rescue Dalmatians again. Visiting the dogs takes a lot longer now since there are so many of them. I had thought that some of the new dogs would have gotten adopted by now, but they are all still there. Everyone was in good spirits. Rocket is still scared, but his skin condition is getting better. Dorothy is going to take the crown away from Charlie as the kennel's resident wild child. She has so much energy and really loves to play. I think she would do great at agility. Jo Jo has become the group's gentle giant. He's big and strong, but is extremely well behaved. Willie and Julip and both tiny and very sweet. They both love attention and like being petted. Candy still needs to learn some manners, but she is very young and has received absolutely no training or socialization. We are working on this. I think we've almost taught her to sit. Oliver is still a goofy clown and Charlie is still the most fun to play with. Despite his many issues, Charlie is the smartest dog at the kennel. 

We had fun with the dogs today but it didn't leave me with a lot of time to walk when we got home. For a while I though we'd get rain this afternoon, but all we got was a lot of wind. I did manage to get in a short walk before dinner time and ended up completing about three miles. I doubt if I could have walked much further even if I had all day. My feet still hurt.

I seldom say anything about the watches, but today's watch used to belong to Alice Cooper. At least that's what I was told.

Tyson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day