Day 4828

Dawn is continuing to do well. We took her on two short walks today and there were no problems. Tomorrow she finishes her pain meds, and we're hoping that she continues to be comfortable. It's been several days since Dawn has stumbled or fallen. Her neck is still a little swollen, but that looks better too. With any luck, life can return to normal soon. It's going to be a while before I'm comfortable leaving her alone on the bed, but we can always gate her in the hallway with a dog bed if we both have to be out of the house at the same time.

I took my long walk early today because I had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon. I had to cut a mile off the walk to meet my appointment on time, but I still got my steps. It was chilly and overcast today but there was no rain. I'm getting bored making this five mile trek day-after-day, but it's still a lot easier than driving to the gym. It's surprising how quickly everything has turned green. It's starting to look like Spring has arrived.

My trip to the dermatologist was uneventful. Every six months the doctor freezes the keratosis spots on my face and scalp with liquid nitrogen and they always grow back. The keratosis is so minor that I tend to forget it is there. The doctor says it is important to monitor these areas though because they can turn into basal cell carcinoma. I've been going to this doctor for five years now and nothing has happened, so I hope things stay this way.

Janet's heart doctor wanted her to get a Kardia Mobile Heart Monitor to track her heart rate while exercising. She's supposed to send the results to her doctor periodically, but so far neither of us can figure out how to export the EKG files from the Kardia Mobile and attach them to an e-mail message. Usually I'm very good with devices like this, but I'm stumped so far. It probably doesn't help that something is wrong with my own e-mail account, so it's been hard to test the thing. I can usually receive e-mail just fine but I'm having trouble sending anything. I spent over an hour this morning talking with someone in a call center but got nowhere. Tech support seems to be getting worse and worse. I keep getting a message saying that my mail server has an invalid certificate, but the hosting company says everything's fine. Things were so much easier when you could actually talk to a software engineers yourself. Dealing with offshore call centers is an exercise in frustration.

It's weird having a non-functional e-mail account. I'm not working anymore, but I still have this need to stay connected. What if I miss a message about my press credentials at Kennedy Space Center? What if I need to change something quickly on a rescue website? How can I check on things I've ordered online? This is frustrating. Things seem to be getting worse so it looks like I'm going to have to deal with the call center people again. Oddly, this blog still seems to work fine.

Humphrey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4800 - Valentines Day

Only two hundred days to go. I should have established a less ambitious blogging goal back in the beginning, but I still think I can do this. In less than a year I will have written a daily post for 5000 consecutive days.

I wasn't surprised to see the roof start leaking again when we woke up this morning. We got a lot of rain last night. Thunder and lightning woke me up several times and I always got up and checked for leaks. Needless to say, I didn't get a lot of sleep. The leaks didn't start until I was having breakfast this morning but it didn't take long for the water to make a mess of things. We had water running down a wall again, making it impossible to capture in a bucket. Luckily this leak was in a hallway where we have brick floors.

It was still raining early this morning, so Dawn didn't get her usual sunrise walk. We didn't forget her though. When the rain ended, Dawn got a nice walk later in the day. I didn't take my usual long walk because I was too busy dealing with roof leak problems. I did get my 10,000 steps though. Just barely.

All in all the leaks weren't nearly as bad as the previous two rain storms. The pumps on the roof were working well too. When I started seeing clear sky, I climbed up on the roof and swept away the remaining standing water. So far, so good. The leaks have finally stopped and I don't see any more rain in the two week forecast. If the roof gets completely dry again I may try to patch the obvious holes with the remaining Armor Flex silicon coating I have left. I doubt that this will fix the problem, but maybe it will help.

I still haven't gotten an estimate for replacing the roof from the roofing company, but I wasn't expecting anything until the end of the week. Prices were pretty high when I replaced the roof the last time and I expect that they are even worse now. I don't have much of a choice though. You just can't live in a house with leaks all over the place.

Although I had the best of intentions to quit climbing on the roof, it looks like this unpleasant chore is still going to be a part of my future for a while. I'm more careful these days but I'm also more clumsy. I definitely don't want to end my days by falling off a roof. Maybe by Summer we'll have a new roof and I can put this all behind me.

We didn't have our usual Valentines cupcakes this year. Janet had a class this evening and we were both tired anyway. Hopefully tomorrow will just be an ordinary February day. I'd like to hear something about the Crew-6 launch soon so I can make plans, but I'll be happy enough if nothing happens at all tomorrow. As long as the house stays dry, I'm good.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4768

It's been a very busy day. I made it to Florida and am looking forward to getting a little sleep before leaving early tomorrow morning to pick up my press credentials. The day started normally enough. We gave Dawn her sunrise walk and then I had my regular breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit. It didn't take me too long to finish packing, so I even had time to take a short walk in the park before leaving for the airport. Dawn is a smart dog and she knew something was different today. She seemed a little nervous when I left, but I talked to Janet later and she said Dawn was fine. Friday is grocery day, and when Janet got back to the house with groceries Dawn was a happy camper again. She'll probably be even happier when she grabs my spot on the bed tonight.

I can't say that Southwest Airlines is fine yet. They've still got some work to do to get back to normal. I wish they'd told me that they'd closed a big section of the parking garage. I didn't discover this until I was already inside the garage and couldn't get out again. It took me forever to find a parking place. I had to park in a completely different area and I'll probably have a hard time finding my car when I return.

Flights to Orlando are always completely full. It takes a long time for people to board and even longer for them to find a place for their luggage. There are usually tons of kids on the plane and I ended up sitting next to a very talkative teenager today. The kid seemed scared of flying and every time he heard a strange noise he kept asking me what the noise meant. His Mom gave him something to eat before going to her seat in the back of the plane and within ten minutes the kid had dropped his sandwich on the floor and managed to spill a big Diet Coke all over himself. Luckily the bottle wasn't pointed toward me or I would have been a sticky mess.

Even though we left Dallas late, we arrived in Orlando right on time. The pilots must have just flown a little faster while they were in the air. I always try to get a rental car with in-dash GPS but these things don't seems to exist anymore. I didn't feel like messing with CarPlay, so I just drove to my Airbnb by memory. I found the place just fine even though it was dark when I arrived. I've been to Titusville enough times now that it's beginning to seem more familiar to me than Dallas.

For some reason I've only got a one hour window to pick up my credentials early tomorrow morning. I need to be sure to set an alarm tonight because I'm tired and it would be easy to oversleep. After I pick up my badge, I will head over to the Press Site where a bus will take the launch photographers to the pad to set remote cameras and get some close up photos of the rocket before launch. These trips out to the launch pad are always my favorite part of a trip to Kennedy Space Center.

The Falcon Heavy launch itself is early tomorrow evening. It looks like it is going to be a clear day, but it will be very cold by Florida standards. The weather forecast says it will only be 36 degrees in the morning. That's colder than it is in Dallas right now. I brought some extra sweaters, but I'm beginning to think I didn't dress warmly enough. I went to a nearby grocery store after I arrived to pick up some food for my stay and it is already pretty chilly outside. This isn't like Florida at all.

I"d better post this and get some sleep. It's going to be a long day tomorrow.

Taylor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4765

I received a notice today that my application for press credentials was accepted, so I will be heading to Kennedy Space Center soon to attend the USSF-67 Falcon Heavy launch. These last minute notices make me nervous, but the Space X folks are probably doing the best they can. Things change rapidly with almost any launch and they probably weren't even sure the launch would take place until today's successful static fire. Hey, at least I got credentialed. The weather looks good so far as well. Airfares look terrible though. I thought Southwest would be offering some deals to win back customers after all the problems they had a few weeks ago. Nope. The current fare to Orlando was the highest I've ever seen. The Airbnb I like was open though, so that's good. I've really got to stop fretting about this stuff. There are many launch opportunities and I can only afford to go to a few of them anyway. It wouldn't have been the end of the world if I missed this one.

The laser pointer accessory I ordered for one of my star trackers arrived today but I couldn't figure out how to assemble it. I wrote the company a letter saying that I thought a part was missing. A few hours later I noticed a video on the company website with operating instructions. My bad. I just needed to unscrew the top of the unit so it would fit on the star tracker adapter. I felt kind of stupid, because after looking at the video I felt that I should have been able to figure this out myself. These type of things are going to happen more frequently now. Growing old isn't pretty.

It was foggy outside when we took Dawn on her early walk this morning. Ground fog in the park is often very pretty, but cameras and dogs don't mix well, so I didn't get any pictures. We had a nice walk though and since we started a little later, we didn't even need our flashlights.

I got a late start on my long walk today because I needed to make all my reservations for the Florida trip. By the time I left the house it was warm enough to wear shorts again. I think we set an all time temperature record today. It got up to 83 degrees. I'm sure it will get cold again, but I'll take this warmer weather whenever we can get it. It didn't feel like January at all today. It felt more like April.

I hope all these long walks are actually helping me. Sometimes I wonder. I'm certainly not building any muscle. They say building muscle mass is much harder as you grow older. I'm probably going to have to get serious and spend more time lifting weights. I'm thin enough as it is. I wish I enjoyed going to the gym, because I've certainly got the time. I prefer walking though because I can daydream and let my mind wander. I'd never make a good gym rat.

I can't decide what to write about on this trip to Florida. The USSF-67 Mission is almost identical to the USSF-44 Mission which I've already written about. I doubt that the magazine is going to be very interested in another article about the same thing. I already have a Falcon Heavy article in the January issue. Hopefully, I can think of something interesting in the next day or so because I'd like the magazine to stay interested in me.

Dawn is finally starting to relax around me. It's about time. Maybe we'll eventually end up being best buddies after all.

Murphy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4693

It's been a long day. I'm back in Titusville again for another launch. This time it is a Falcon Heavy carrying a secret payload for the Defence Department. I have no idea what is being launched into orbit, but I do know that the two side boosters are coming back to land at Kennedy Space Center. Seeing these two rockets return side by side preceded by a dual sonic boom is always pretty spectacular.

It's a good thing I know my way around the Space Coast fairly well by now. It's impossible to find a rental car with an in-dash GPS anymore. The guy at the terminal said that I could look for myself and see if I could find one, but after starting up about ten different cars, I just gave up. No GPS for me this time. I made it to the hotel OK and I know where I'm going tomorrow, so all is well.

The day started normally enough. We took Dawn on a sunrise walk, came home and ate a big breakfast, and then I finished packing my bags. There was plenty of time to take Dawn on her Sunday outing before I had to leave for the airport. It was such a pretty day that it was a shame that I had to spend the day flying. I really enjoy my time at the space center, but I don't particularly enjoy traveling. 

I have a very slow Internet connection tonight, but I certainly have a fancy room. I think the hotel put me in the wrong room by mistake, because I certainly didn't reserve a three room suite. This place is huge. I'll have to check at the front desk in the morning and make sure I'm not paying extra for this. This hotel is very nice. It is brand new and is only a few miles from the space center. Too bad that it is almost always completely booked.

Tomorrow morning I'll go pick up my credentials at the Press Accreditation Office and then head over to the Press Site to join the folks setting up remote cameras. I don't set up remote cameras myself, but I like to get on the bus with the rest of the launch photographers. NASA doesn't 't let you get on the bus if you aren't actually going to set up remote cameras, but Space X doesn't mind. This is often the best part of attending a launch. You are able to spend several hours very close to the launch pad and there are many opportunities to take some great pictures. 

The launch itself is early Tuesday morning. I like daytime launches a lot better because you can see a lot more. The weather forecast looks good too. Lets just hope that nothing goes wrong with the rocket between now and Tuesday. I've got two choices of where to view the launch. I'll ask the guys on the remote bus tomorrow which location is best. 

I need to remember to set an alarm for tomorrow morning. The Press Accreditation Office is only open for two hours. I'd hate to have come all this way and miss getting my credentials.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4688

It's always something. We had a huge wind storm last night and a big branch from one of our Oak trees fell on the roof. The branch is way too big for me to deal with myself, so I called the last tree trimmer I used. He never called me back. I thought I might as well try to deal with a few other issues as well, so I called the last carpenter I used to come repair some rotted fascia on the house. Oops. No longer a working number. I contacted another carpenter who had good reviews on the Internet and he said he was completely booked for the next four months. He advised me to contact a different carpenter but didn't recommend any. Oh, well. I am getting our dryer fixed though. I guess in today's world, one out of three isn't bad.

It was really windy on our sunrise walk with Dawn. I thought she wouldn't want to walk on a day like this, but she was fine with the wind. Actually it seemed to invigorate her. Janet was fine too. I was the only one worried that a tree was going to fall on us. At least the air felt clear and clean. The wind must have blown away all the pollen that has been aggravating my allergies.

The wind died down as I was eating breakfast and it was calm outside by the time I was ready to take my long walk. I didn't feel like going to the gym today. It was a bit chilly when I started walking but it warmed up quickly. I maintained a pretty good pace today and my feet didn't hurt much. I thought I'd see a lot of downed trees in the park during my six mile walk, especially since one fell on our roof during the night. Surprisingly, most of the trees looked exactly the same as they did last week. I only saw a single downed tree and the park department guys were already removing it. I wish I could get these guys to help with my trees. They are very efficient. 

My experiences with finding service people today has made me realize that I'm not ready for what the world has become. Over the years I've built up a carefully curated list of repair people I knew I could depend on. I had the best plumbers, electricians, carpenters, glaizers, HVAC repairmen, and much more on this list. The entire list is useless now. Everyone has retired, died, or simply disappeared. So far, using the Internet to find suppliers has not been a satisfactory replacement for the recommendations I used to get from friends. I refuse to use Angie's list. 

I'm having second thoughts about even going to the next Artemis launch attempt. It's disappointing that this next attempt is at midnight, so there won't be good photo opportunities. I'm not wild about the hotel I was able to book and the entire trip seems expensive and somewhat pointless. Since SpaceFlight Magazine has already published my article about the launch that got scrubbed, I'm not even sure they'd be interested in another article about the same rocket. I'm not canceling anything yet though. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood today.

Tomorrow I've got to clean out the utility room again and wait for the appliance repairman. They always give you a four hour window and then end up coming at the end of the day. The repair needs to be done though. A washer without a dryer isn't of much use. I wonder when I'm going to be able to get my steps tomorrow? I've always got to get my steps.

Patch is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4676

It's feeling like Ground Hog Day again. Every day seems exactly the same. I have no one to blame but myself since I have no real desire to change. I did try to change things up a bit by going back to the gym this morning instead of walking in the park again. The gym is pretty much the same as well. I always have the same routine even if there are dozens of machines I have never tried. All I can say is that it's a good thing I handle boredom well.

The park was quiet this morning. There seems to be a lot more activity on the weekends. I'm always surprised that so many people do things together before the sun comes up. Some run in groups and cyclists often ride in groups. I have trouble just getting up in the morning. I'd never be organized enough to join a group activity before I've had breakfast. All this is just idle speculation though. I tend to avoid group activities at any time of day.

I've been wondering why the grass and other plants have been so sticky this Fall. Even the roads under trees are getting sticky. It turns out that we have an infestation of aphids in Dallas. The clear, sticky liquid if basically aphid poop. I wish I hadn't learned this because it is kind of gross. The stuff is not harmful to dogs or humans, but it can kill plants. The plants are having a tough time this Fall. First it was the little green web worms and now it's the aphids.

I was terrible on the basketball court when I was at the gym this morning. I wonder why I am so inconsistent? I've been shooting free throws at this gym for so many years now that I should have perfected the process by now. Shooting baskets is basically just hand eye coordination. I must not be terribly coordinated because I'm all over the place. On a good day I can sink seven or eight baskets in a row. On a bad day all I do is embarrass myself. I used the vibration plate again today. It doesn't even seem like exercise, but if it can help improve my bone density, it's worth spending ten minutes on the machine. I still don't like the drive, but going to the gym was a nice change of pace. I didn't have to walk through any aphid poop either.

It's surprising how many launches I get approved for at Kennedy Space Center. I got invited to another launch today. Some of the approvals are automatic and I don't have to apply for credentials. The Space Force is usually a lot more consistent with approvals than NASA. I'm glad they don't check and see whether I actually show up for the launch. If they checked I'd have been crossed off the list by now. I'd really like to go to all of these launches, but I can only afford several trips a year. I'm already looking forward to my next trip. I still feel like a pretend journalist, but I do enjoy the experience.

Dawn's been avoiding me all evening because Janet is out of the house. It's disappointing that we haven't become buddies, but there isn't a lot I can do about the situation. It seems like she ought to be able to tell that I really like dogs. Maybe I look or smell like one of the men who mistreated her. Dawn is probably glad when I go to Florida.

Puppies are today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4666

The refrigerator is working properly again. I was amazed at how quickly the metal exterior cooled down after the compressor fan was installed. Hopefully the compressor wasn't damaged by running too hot for over a month. We'll see. The technician fixed the in-door water dispenser too. We seldom use this, but it's nice to have it if we need it. Several years ago we read a report that city water in our part of town was contaminated and we've been drinking bottled water ever since. I imagine the water supply problem was fixed a long time ago, but I'll stick with the bottled water.

I was thinking about just getting a new dryer instead of replacing the failing belt drive. Then I checked washer and dryer prices. Like everything else, dryers have gotten much more expensive. I thought that dryers were still the least expensive major appliance. Not anymore.  Oh, well. I guess I'll fix the dryer next month. I've spent enough on repairs this month.

The weather continues to be near perfect. I had to wear a warmer jacket on our sunrise walk with Dawn because the temperature was only in the mis-50's. Sadly, the web worms haven't completely gone away. I found a few on my clothing when we returned home this morning. The park is very quiet on Monday morning. I wonder if anyone works on Monday anymore? The before work runners and cyclists don't start appearing until Tuesday morning. 

Since I had to wait around for the appliance repairman this morning I didn't take a walk in the park. After the repairs were finished I went to the bank and then to the gym. Janet doesn't like me in the house while she's cleaning, so this worked out well for everyone. I wonder how my gym stays in business. It's a huge facility and there are always only a small handful of people there when I go for workouts. Maybe the place fills up before and after work, but it was just about empty at 2 PM.

I took my iPhone case apart and cleaned it this afternoon. The case is supposed to be completely sealed against the elements, so I can't figure out how so much gunk gets inside. The phone doesn't work any better, but the screen is much clearer now. I wonder if it's time to get a new phone. There's nothing wrong with my SE but it is so old now that it won't run IOS 16. Since I can't upgrade the phone, I can't upgrade my watch either. Apple used to be a lot better at supporting older equipment. Now they just don't care. 

Janet wanted me to test some batteries for her today. I know I have a battery tester somewhere, but I had no luck in finding it. This happens a lot lately. I'll look for something in the last place I remember storing it and all I'll find is a stack of junk piled on top of other junk. Where did all this stuff come from. I used to be so neat and orderly. Now I need to go buy a new battery tester but there is no longer a Fry's Electronics store in our town. Fry's is where I always used to go for this type of stuff. Just about all my go-to stores have disappeared. You've got to order things on Amazon now.

I don't have any plans for tomorrow but you can probably guess what I'll be doing. I really need to find a few new interests.

Hobbs is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4663

Today was busy. It was chilly this morning on our sunrise walk. It was only 63 degrees and I definitely needed a light jacket. I also needed a stick to brush the web worms away as we made out way down toward the lake. I'll be glad when these little green worms disappear. They've really become a nuisance.

After breakfast I did a few minor chores around the house while I was waiting to leave for my haircut appointment. My hair is thinner now but it still grows fast. It doesn't seem that long since my last haircut. I usually get a haircut before any major trip, but I won't be going anywhere for a while. There are several interesting launches next month, but I didn't apply for credentials. It's just as well that I won't be going anywhere soon. I've got too many bills to pay.

On the way home from my haircut appointment I stopped at the gym. It was cool enough to walk outdoors today, but the gym turned out to be more convenient. I was fairly terrible on the basketball court, but I was actually faster on the indoor track today. It still seems like my performance should be more consistent, but it never is. Some days I do well and other days I don't.

I did some of my grocery shopping today because I'm not sure how long the washing machine repairs will take tomorrow. I hope that no parts are needed for this repair because that always requires a second visit. I really want to avoid going to the laundromat. Hopefully, the problem is minor. According to the error code on the machine there is just a clogged drain filter.  I need to learn how to fix this myself. I'm tired of paying technicians to do things that turn out to be very easy.

The State Fair of Texas opened today. We usually go to the fair, but I'm not sure if we'll go this year. I can't even remember if we went last year. It might have still been closed due to Covid. Somewhere on the fairgrounds there is a brick walkway where you can purchase bricks with your name on them. Years ago we bought some bricks in memory of our first Dalmatian. Whenever we go to the fair, it is always a challenge to find these bricks. They're still there but it is surprisingly difficult to locate them. We used to walk Spot in Fair Park every weekend, but the city was different then. The city felt much safer twenty years ago. I'm not sure I'd want to walk in this park during off season anymore.

I hope the appliance technician is on time tomorrow. I hate waiting for repair people. They usually give you a four hour window and then show up about an hour after the window has expired. The utility room where we keep the washer and dryer is very small. I always have to move a ton of stuff out of the room before a service call to give the technician room to work. I'm not even sure how we got these appliances into this room now. It doesn't seem like they should fit.

I hope the rescue Dalmatians are doing well. We haven't seen them in quite a while. I think they will be moving to another kennel later this Fall where we can visit again. I wonder if they will remember us?

Thelma is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4660

Not a lot happened today. It was still dark when we started our sunrise walk with Dawn. There were other people in the park, but you could only see the lights they wore. Some people carried flashlights. Others wore headlamps and some even put little lights on their shoes. A lot of dogs had lighted collers. We used to have a little red light that would clip on Dawn's collar, but it got lost on a walk over a year ago. You don't really need these lights very long. The predawn sky brightens quickly. I could see Orion in the South with Mars overhead and Jupiter setting in the West as we left the house. By the time we arrived home it was daylight.

I discovered where the little green worms were coming from this morning. There is a tree I often pass under on our morning walks with hundreds of the things dangling from thin weblike threads. I must have walked through this mess the other day and didn't even realize it. Evidently the city is infested with these little green caterpillars this Fall. They seem to favor Hackberry trees.

The temperature was nice and cool today, so I took my long walk instead of going to the gym. Our Fall typically doesn't last very long, but I hope this weather continues. It's rare that the temperature is just right in Texas. Today was perfect. I could walk without getting hot and sweaty, but I didn't need a coat either.

It doesn't look like there is going to be an Artemis launch until mid to late November, but I still feel compelled to check on the rocket every day. Overnight they rolled the rocket back to the Vertical Assembly Building where it is safely stowed away. With the hurricane's path moving to the East, there is a chance that the storm will pass directly over the space center now. By the time Ian reaches the space coast it will be a lot weaker, but it will still be quite a storm. It's a good thing I'm not traveling to Florida this week. I've heard that they might even close the airport in Orlando soon.

My seasonal allergies keep getting worse. I'm not sure what causes these allergies, but it doesn't make any difference whether I'm indoors or out. Either way I'm always blowing my nose. The nasal congestion is irritating but I'm used to it by now. I've had seasonal allergies for years. I really appreciate the few weeks each year when the allergies completely go away.

I was thinking about learning some new features on one of my cameras today, but when the time came, I had already lost interest. Modern digital cameras will do a lot of things that people like me seldom use. I basically shoot the same way I used to with my old Nikon film cameras. The only controls I use are shutter speed and f-stop. I wish manufacturers would invent a way to insure perfect focus at night. That's always a tricky one for me.

I wish Dawn would warm up to me. Janet was gone this afternoon and every time I came in the bedroom, Dawn would leave. We both like to nap. It's a shame that it's so hard to do this together. I don't think Dawn will ever completely trust men.

Sophie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4659

NASA finally decided to move Artemis back to the VAB, so I guess someone eventually realized that launching on October 2nd wasn't a good idea. Hurricane Ian is moving slower than expected, so what is left of the hurricane might still be in the area at the end of the month. 

As soon as the rollback to the VAB was announced this morning I canceled all my reservations. I wonder why so many companies are so eager to take your money as soon as you make a reservation? Rental car companies don't demand payment until you pick up the car, but airlines charge you immediately. So does Airbnb. Everyone would rather offer you a credit toward future travel than refund your money. I think I'll get a full refund for everything, but it will be several days before the money shows up in my account. If there is a silver lining to this mess, it is that I can now afford to take my car in for service. I don't think Artemis will be ready for another launch attempt until late November.

It was really pleasant on our sunrise walk with Dawn, but I could tell it was going to warm up quickly as soon as the rising sun hit my face. I guess I could have tried walking in the park right after breakfast, but I decided to go to the gym because Janet likes me out of the house when she is cleaning. It took a while to get my reservations sorted out and then I did a few small chores while I was waiting for the best time to leave. I swept the pecans from the neighbor's tree off the front porch and walkways and then pried the broken atrium door open so I could clean up the atrium. I still can't find anyone to fix the oversize sliding glass door. It may stay broken like this forever.

I stayed a little longer at the gym today and spent some extra time working with free weights. It's true what the say about muscle atrophy as you get older. It's really hard for me to build back any muscle at all in my arms. You'd think my legs would be really strong with all the walking I do, but they could use some work as well. I don't think I'll ever have to worry about getting fat, but I may have to worry about turning into a skeleton. I need to come up with a better way to build back muscle.

I watched the DART asteroid redirect mission on NASA TV while I was fixing dinner this evening. I didn't realize until recently that the DART acronym meant Double Asteroid Redirection Test. Artemis might be a dismal failure, but at least NASA can get some things right. It seemed amazing to me that the DART spacecraft could score a direct hit on the tiny Dimorphos asteroid orbiting the slightly larger Didymos when the pair is millions of miles from Earth.

When we returned from our sunrise walk this morning I discovered that I had tiny green worms or caterpillars in my hair. This was disgusting. I think these things are called cankerworms because you often find them in Oak trees, but this is the wrong time of year for them. They usually hatch in March or April. At any rate, I took a shower to make sure I got rid of the things. I was surprised at how many fell out of my hair.

With no trip on the agenda and waning interest in the star tracker, I'm not sure what to do next. It gets old if the high point in your day is a walk you've taken a thousand times before. Janet thinks I ought to do volunteer work like she does, but that's not for me. I kind of enjoyed being in demand as a website developer, but that's ancient history now. I guess I'd better start planning another trip.

Suki is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4657

I canceled all my reservations for the 27th and made new reservations for October 2nd. Will Artemis actually launch on the 2nd? I kind of doubt it. There's a good chance it will roll back to the VAB tomorrow and sit there for weeks. It doesn't hurt to be optimistic though. I can always cancel the reservations if Artemis has to return to the VAB. One good thing about the October 2nd date is that my favorite Airbnb is available again. I can't imagine leaving Artemis out on the pad with a hurricane approaching but stranger things have happened. NASA really wants to launch this thing. It will be interesting to see what takes place tomorrow.

The park was busy this morning. This always happens on a weekend. We have to stay alert so Dawn doesn't get run over by bicycles. The weather was nice and Dawn enjoyed her walk. We got a later start this morning and the sun was already up. You could tell that it was going to warm up quickly. It felt like it would make more sense to go to the gym today.

I got a late start on my grocery shopping because I needed to change all my reservations as soon as I heard that the launch attempt on the 27th had been canceled. I've finally learned to act fast whenever there is a schedule change. Every other journalist covering the launch was probably doing exactly the same thing this morning.

With my reservations in order again I went to get groceries. The stores were crowded, but this was probably just because I got a late start today. I'm sure they're like this every week. I filled my tank on the way back from the store. Gas is less expensive now. The decrease in gas prices wasn't enough to offset the increase in food prices unfortunately. Food prices keep going up.

The gym was almost empty today. I did my normal routine and came home. I should probably try a little harder to improve myself when I'm at the gym. I just do the same things over and over again. On many days I don't even work up a sweat or elevate my heart rate much. I do get my steps though, and I guess that is the whole point for me.

My task for the afternoon was defrosting the little refrigerator. We got this refrigerator after a power outage years ago. It's small enough that it can be easily powered by our generator. It's weird that this simple little dorm room refrigerator seems essential now. We use it every day.

Tomorrow I'll probably go mall walking again and then we'll take Dawn on her Sunday outing. Since the weather is getting cooler now, we might be able to take a real walk. If not, there's always ice cream.

Scout is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4653

I mowed the front lawn this morning. As expected, the mower's battery died right as I was finishing up, but I did get the job done. I don't seem to be able to manage more than one chore a day lately, but ever so slowly I am getting things done. The yard looks nice now. At this time of year I start to hope that I won't have to mow for another season. It's probably just wishful thinking though. It got up to 90 degrees this afternoon. The grass will probably keep growing for a while.

There were still a few stars in the sky when we took our sunrise walk with Dawn this morning. We carry a flashlight with us now. I continue to be surprised at how quickly the days are getting shorter. It was a pleasant morning but it felt like it was going to get hot later on. On our sunrise walks it feels like Fall. Later in the day it still feels like summer.

I mowed the grass right after breakfast while it was still relatively cool. I wonder how long I'm going to keep doing this? I've found someone who will do the mowing for me but haven't used him yet. I get tired, but it's still easier to do this chore myself. Truthfully, it's easier to do most chores myself. I hate dealing with suppliers.

I went back to the gym because the day was getting warm. I was surprisingly good on the basketball court this morning. I don't think I've ever completed this many free throws in a row before.  Most of the other people using the court shoot from all over. I just shoot from the free throw line over and over again. If I ever get really good at completing free throws I may try more difficult shots. I'll never join in a pick up game with other gym members though. Shooting free throws is satisfying, but I don't even like basketball that much.

I had a productive morning, but I was basically done by noon. Sometimes I think I don't get enough sleep at night, but I probably get too much sleep if you count all the naps I take. I'd probably take more naps if Dawn wasn't so grumpy about sharing the bed with me. When I lie down on the bed during the day, Dawn gets up and leaves the room. Usually she waits just outside the bedroom door and as soon as I leave the room she hops up on the bed again. She doesn't do this with Janet. Only with me.

There is going to be a Delta IV Heavy launch out at Vandenberg Air Force Base this weekend. After this launch there are only two more of these huge rockets left before they are retired. Hopefully, I'll be able to see one of these remaining launches. I've applied to cover a Delta IV Heavy launch before but it didn't work out for some reason. There's always something to look forward to in the world of spaceflight. Maybe I'll even get to see a Starship launch someday. 

While I'm waiting for something exciting to happen, I'll continue to do small chores around the house. I need to do some maintenance work on the roof but I don't like to climb up there anymore. I'm getting too old for a lot of this stuff I used to do around the house. Even the easy stuff is getting hard. I tried to fix the troublesome Porcher toilet again this afternoon, but the parts I bought last week didn't work. Who knows what's on the agenda for tomorrow. I suspect the day will be very similar to today. 

Rosie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4652

I've got several hours every morning to do something outside before it gets too hot. Sometimes I take a long walk. Other times I try to do something useful. Today I decided to mow the grass. Well, at least I decided to mow half the grass. That's all my aging electric mower will do now on a single charge.

I thought Summer was over. As usual I'm almost always wrong about Texas weather. It actually got quite hot today. Dawn got the best of the day. Our sunrise walk was pleasant, although the humidity was higher than I'd like. It was certainly quiet this morning. There were no police or fire sirens and only one aircraft flew overhead. I always enjoy a quiet walk but sadly they are becoming increasingly rare. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The park is just a small oasis inside a large city.

Since the weekend is over, it's back to shredded wheat and berries for breakfast. I watched the Queen's funeral while I was eating. The carefully choreographed ceremony was mesmerizing. It made me realize that there is value in heritage and tradition. Respect for the queen has at least temporarily unified the British people. Today they seemed proud to be British. I don't think anybody in the United States could command anywhere near the same degree of respect. We all seem to hate each other. We are a young country without a long history, but we don't seem to value what we have. History is important. It seems fashionable today to repudiate history and deconstruct the past. I watched a funeral this morning, but it was strangely uplifting. A reverence for history and tradition is so much better than tearing down statues in an infantile rage.

By the time I finished breakfast and mowing the back yard, it was already way too hot for a walk in the park. I checked my messages, took Dawn outside to pee, and then headed for the gym. It's interesting that I'm not the only one at the gym who follows a set routine. Most of the regulars do exactly the same thing day after day, just like me. There aren't many spontaneous gym rats. It takes a lot of effort to stay in shape and working toward a goal often involves a lot of repetition. I rarely speak to anyone at the gym, but I probably have a lot more in common with these folks than with people who think of themselves as free spirits. No happy hour drinks for me. No impromptu weekend getaways. I've got a Fitbit on my arm and lots of steps to take before the sun sets.

Janet thinks I get in her way when she's cleaning, so I thought I'd hole up in the office this afternoon and balance my checkbook. I don't know why it always takes so long to get my Quickbook Pro records to exactly match my bank statements and credit card receipts. It always ends up being my fault. A single misplaced Quickbooks entry can throw me off for hours. It's easy to make errors while transcribing things but it can be devilishly hard to find them later. Everything is in balance now and I managed to stay out of Janet's way all afternoon.

I guess I'll need to mow the front yard tomorrow morning. The front is harder to mow because it's on a hill. The mower battery doesn't seem to last as well in the front yard either. The job needs to be done though. The yard looks terrible now. I can always go to the gym tomorrow afternoon. I'll probably be going to the gym more often now anyway because my seasonal allergies are starting to act up again.

I wish I'd hear some definitive news on the next Artemis launch attempt. It's getting on my nerves that nothing is settled yet with a scheduled trip to Florida less than a week away.

Rhett is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4650

We got started on our sunrise walk later than usual this morning, but the park was still very quiet. A few of the trees are already starting to turn. There is definitely a hint of Fall in the air. Dawn really enjoys these early walks. I'm still half asleep, but it's a pleasant way to wake up.

Saturdays are always the same. We have a big breakfast and then I do my grocery shopping. I didn't have much on my list today, but it still took the same amount of time. Most of the time is spent driving from store to store. It's almost impossible to find everything you need in a single store anymore. I go to specific stores for specific items. I guess I could just go to Walmart to save time, but I prefer to just pretend that Walmart doesn't exist.

It wasn't that hot today but it felt very humid. I decided to go to the gym instead of walking in the park. My trips to the gym are just as predictable as my other Saturday errands. I shoot twenty-five free throws on the basketball court, walk two miles on the indoor track, and spend a little time working with free weights. I could do more, but I usually get bored after an hour or so. 

It's frustrating that I can't upgrade my watch or phone anymore. I've reached the end of the line with these devices because Apple has officially abandoned them. Both the watch and the phone work just fine but Apple clearly thinks it's time for me to get something new. Both my laptop and desktop computers haven't been able to run later Apple operating systems for quite a while. This means that my Safari browser is way out of date and runs slow. I still have no interest in buying anything new. I have a variety of older Apple systems on external hard drives and often use them when I run really old software. I've reached the age where I keep wondering why things have to change. I was perfectly happy with the way things were 15 or even 25 years ago. 

I'm glad that there weren't any launches I felt compelled to attend down in Florida this week. It's been raining all week in Titusville. Space X has delayed one of their Starlink launches for five straight days in a row because of bad weather. I hope the weather improves before the next Artemus launch attempt. There are enough problems with the rocket itself. Adding bad weather into the mix will only make things worse. I don't even like to leave my car out in the rain. You'd think they'd worry about leaving this billion dollar rocket out in the weather for weeks at a time. The rocket already leaks. We certainly don't want it to rust.

I guess I'll go mall walking again tomorrow. There's absolutely nothing I'm interested in buying at the mall, but walking around and around the huge square enclosure is still kind of pleasant. The air smells clean and the temperature is just right. It's nice and cool inside but I don't need a jacket. Maybe someday I'll find something more interesting to talk about than all these walks I continue to take. I wouldn't count on it though. I'm becoming more and more like a dog. All I think about is walking and eating. And rockets. I still think about rockets.

Princess is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4538

It was hot this afternoon, so I finally went back to the gym. I hadn't been there in such a long time that there were new owners and I had to enroll all over again. I still had a membership, but they wanted me to sign some new waivers that basically said that they weren't responsible if I dropped dead on the gym floor. I went through my old routines on my favorite machines, worked with some free weights for a while, and was totally dismayed at how much harder everything seemed. Use it or lose it, I guess. I really need to make an effort to go to the gym a couple of times a week this summer. My upper body strength is terrible now. I guess I've been fooling myself with these long walks. They are really just leisurely strolls.

On the way home I stopped at REI and got some new shorts for Summer. The shorts I've been wearing on my walks are practically rags by now. The store was having a big sale, but there was really nothing else I needed. I find this happening at almost every store I find myself in these days. I'm losing my desire to buy stuff. Now what? Buying things I didn't really need kept me occupied for many years.

The weather was perfect for our sunrise walk with Dawn, but she didn't seem all that interested in walking this morning. She's started her freezing in place behavior again. I thought we were going to have to turn around and go home, but then another dog passed us on the trail and Dawn decided she wanted to follow it. After that she was perfectly normal again. She didn't seem interested in the dinner I fixed for her tonight either. There was nothing wrong with her appetite though. As soon as Janet came home, she raced out to the kitchen and ate everything. I have no idea what is going through this dog's head, but it doesn't seem normal.

Janet and I went out for dinner tonight. It's been a while since we've done this and it was a nice change of pace. I've noticed that you can't just pick up the phone and make a reservation these days. Restaurants increasingly want you to use Open Table, or something similar to make your reservations online. I liked the old way better, but things change and you learn to adapt. It's weird. I made my living designing websites for quite a few years, but I'm not a fan of the online revolution. Things were better when we weren't as connected. Try explaining that to someone who has had a phone or a tablet in their hands since they were a baby though. They just don't understand.

The traffic seemed really light for a Saturday. The stores weren't crowded when I was grocery shopping this morning either. It's a holiday weekend and people must be traveling. There is such a pent up demand to do stuff after two years of Covid restrictions that I don't even think that the high price of gas is slowing down the desire to travel. There's got to be a breaking point though. I was amazed at how much more expensive my two trips this year were compared to similar trips in previous years.

We're going to have to watch the temperature tomorrow. Last week it was almost too hot for Dawn on her Sunday outing. Dawn looks forward to this Sunday trip though. If it's too hot, we'll skip the walk and go directly to the ice cream store.

Sam is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4517

The stores were really crowded today. Maybe it was because Mother's Day is tomorrow. Maybe it was because stores are always crowded these days. Who knows? I keep saying that I should do my grocery shopping during the week when people are at work. I never do though. I'm a creature of habit. I've always done this on Saturday morning and I probably always will.

Taking an early walk with Dawn is another thing we will probably always do as long as Dawn is healthy. I like these early morning walks. The city is still relatively quiet, although we still hear police and fire sirens occasionally. We see joggers, but the park generally doesn't get crowded until later in the day. Dawn enjoys the walks too unless it is wet. Today was dry and everyone had a good time.

Once I finished my shopping I didn't do much for the rest of the day. There are chores around the house that need attention but they can wait. The star tracker can wait too. I just don't have the energy to figure out why it stopped working yesterday. Maybe the Chinese manufacturer will have a suggestion for me. Until then the frustrating machine can just sit in its box.

My foot pain returned today. When I took my long walk later this afternoon it was a struggle to complete four miles. The weather wasn't great either. I had hoped that it would stay cool since it was overcast all day, but by mid-afternoon it was hot and muggy. It's starting to feel a lot like summer. The city was having an educational event in the park about native plants and prairies. Maybe I should have stopped and learned a little more about the plants I see everyday. I kept walking though. Too many people.

I should contact the guy who said he would mow my grass. With all the rain we've had lately, it's getting pretty thick. I'll probably just mow it myself though. It's hard for me to make changes. By the time I made arrangements with someone else, I could have the grass mowed. I do need to quit doing this pretty soon, because it's become too tiring. I'm sure I can keep mowing the lawn a few more times though. I'm such a procrastinator that I even procrastinate about making my own life easier.

I took a couple of short naps today and every time I got on the bed, Dawn got up and went to her dog bed in the kitchen. When I got up and left the room, Dawn immediately went back to the bedroom again. That dog is just rude sometime. I keep telling Dawn that she needs to get used to me because Janet will be going on another vacation this summer. I wonder if we will ever be buddies?

It's almost time for Dawn's Sunday outing again. We won't be celebrating Mother's Day because both our moms passed away a long time ago and neither of us have ever had children. We've had a lot of dogs though. We can always celebrate dogs.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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