Day 4988

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

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

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 The Dreamweaver software I've always used to upload and maintain sites is obsolete and barely runs anymore.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

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

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

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

Joe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4735

Sundays are all about walking. I don't think I did anything constructive today, but I sure did a lot of walking. Luckily the rain has stopped. Unfortunately the roof is still leaking. I discovered a few new leaks when I woke up this morning, but all have stopped dripping except for the original leak in the office. Lord knows when this leak will dry out. It's fairly persistant.

Dawn got a nice early walk this morning. The weather was cool and there was lots to smell. We didn't encounter a single bicycle this morning and we only saw two joggers. Maybe everyone was getting ready for the big BMW Dallas Marathon. This used to be called Run the Rock, but now they have a corporate sponsor. It seems to rain almost every time this race takes place.

I went mall walking again after breakfast. I was surprised at how full the mall seemed a full two hours before the stores opened. There were lots of parents with little kids. Taking your kids to the mall must be kind of like taking them to the zoo. It's a very popular activity. Most importantly, it's free. A lot of stores seems to have staff meeting on Sunday morning. It's not uncommon to see groups of employees gathered around a manager in these closed stores listening to some kind of pep talk or instructions. Are these meetings mandatory? What if someone wanted to go to church instead. The Apple store seemed to be having a Christmas party this morning. There were a huge number of employees milling around inside the locked store.

Everyone seems to have a holiday window display now. There is certainly nothing new in the word of fashion. I saw double breasted men's suits on display that looked exactly like what I used to wear in the 1970's. Leather motorcycle jackets seem popular too. At least they seem popular for women. I used to wear jackets like these back in my college days. Basically all fashion just gets recycled. Few people who are interested in clothes are old enough to remember that we've seen all this before.

Dawn got her Sunday outing today. The ground was a little wet, but it was a pleasant day for walking. We walk about the same distance as we do on our early morning walks, but somehow we always seems to go a little faster. Probably Dawn doesn't spend as much time smelling things when we take her to the Sunday park. The park near our house is Dawn's territory now. She has to investigate and keep up with what all the other dogs are doing.

I passed a horrible multi-car wreck on my way to the mall this morning. I think people forgot how to drive during the pandemic. Drivers seem much worse lately. People routinely cut in front of you, make unannounced u-turns, and run through traffic signals. Dallas has never been a haven for safe drivers, but I've never seen it this bad before. It feels like a demolition derby and you can't help but wonder when your luck is going to wear out.

I continue to have problems with websites and passwords. After I have changed all my online passwords to more secure versions, some of the websites I use have reverted to the old passwords. I find it impossible to change any information on my web hosting account. When I try to call customer service, I get an offshore call center and end up talking with someone I can barely understand. I'm beginning to wonder why I'm still on the Internet. I think I'd be just fine if I wasn't online at all.

Emmitt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day