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 4375

It's feeling like Ground Hog Day again. Every day the same frustrations occur over and over. My feet continue to hurt despite wearing the special shoes that the orthopedic surgeon recommended. My FedEx package remains lost despite calling them twice a day and begging for additional information. I keep walking longer and longer, mostly because it keeps me from thinking about all the aspects of modern life that irritate the hell out of me. Just about everything we as a society are currently doing is wrong. It just seems weird that so many people see things differently than me. In my heart I know I'm right.

I don't know what I am going to do about my FedEx package. The company really doesn't seem to care about their customers. Instead of trying to improve service, they seem to have put all their efforts into insulating themselves from customers. I'm actually impressed at how clever they've been at preventing me from finding out the status of this package that I know is sitting in a warehouse less than twenty miles from where I live. It is impossible to talk to anyone in the warehouse or even to a supervisor. You always get routed to an offshore call center where contract workers are employed to be friendly without really telling you anything. I'm starting to suspect that they dropped and broke my star tracker. I'm starting to get asked about what's inside the package. Today I was told that if the package didn't arrive within three or four days from now, I should ask the shipper to file a claim for damages so they could be compensated for the lost package. "But the package isn't lost," I reminded the call center agent. "I can tell from looking at the tracking history on my FedEx account that it's sitting in your Hutchins warehouse." "You scanned this package again this morning," I added. None of this gets me anywhere, because the call center representatives are forbidden from transferring my call to someone local who might actually know what is going on.

I feel like FedEx has stumbled onto a fiendishly clever plan to drive me crazy. I've always cared more about objects and gear than people. I want this star tracker. I've been waiting for it since last March. Maybe there is a holiday rush for delivery services. Maybe the driver had a bad day. Maybe the warehouse facility is understaffed. I still keep thinking that this should be a no brainer. The package initially didn't get delivered for some reason. It should have been redelivered the next day unless something is going on that they aren't telling me. I have many reasons to be suspicious.

I'm in such a bad mood that I don't even feel like going to rocket launches or out to the observatory anymore. My feet and shoulder hurt so much that I'm not even sure I could make the long drive to West Texas. It wasn't a pleasant drive even when I was feeling better last year. Florida is a different story. SpaceFlight Magazine seems to be under new management and they don't appear quite as interested in me these days. Hotel and rental car rates continue to increase as well. People are traveling again and flight are often full. It's a mess. I think I liked traveling more when the world was completely locked down.

The weather has been just as weird as everything else this Winter. One day it is 70 degrees and the next day it is freezing. The changes from day to day can be dramatic. Today was quite warm. I was able to take my long walk wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Just a few days ago I was wearing a down jacket. This inconsistency certainly isn't helping my overall mood. I don't mind having four seasons, but the seasons need to behave. Winter should be cold. Summer should be hot. And Spring and Fall should be nice. So far, we seem to be packing Winter, Summer, Spring, and Fall into a single month.

It's been a long day, but I've finished my dinner and taken this week's trash out to the curb. I'll probably just have shredded wheat for breakfast again even though I've been planning to resume my Friday restaurant breakfasts for weeks now. I'm really proud of Dawn. She seems to be doing a better job of adjusting to her new life than I am.

Hannah is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3945

The sky looked very weird this morning. The air felt clean and cool, but there was a thick haze that totally obscured distant objects and dimmed the sun. Was this fog, smoke or dust? Usually you hear something on the news about dramatic weather like this, but Janet and I had heard nothing. My guess is dust, but where was it coming from? I guess the hazy sky could have also been caused by the wildfires on the West Coast, but the fact that the sky was clear again by mid-afternoon made this seem less likely. The haze wasn't fog though. I know fog.

The other strange thing we noticed on this morning's walk was that all the White Pelicans were gone. Several dozen birds had just disappeared. All the other ducks, geese, and assorted cranes and herons were still in their appointed places, so the disappearance of the Pelicans was even more of a mystery. Was there a connection between the hazy skies and the disappearance? Who knows. Nature can be very complicated.

Today was Dalmatian day again. Charlie is currently the only Dalmatian residing at the kennel, but he still deserves a visit. Charlie is always very glad to see us. We play ball with him until he burns off his excess energy and feels like relaxing. Sometimes this takes a while. Charlie is always chewing something. He loves squeaky toys, but we've learned that those indestructible red rubber Kongs survive a lot longer.

I received a copy of my edited manuscript from Sky & Telescope today. Not bad. They cut about seven hundred words so the article would fit the layout, but it still felt like something I wrote. Hey, it was a long article. Seven hundred words wasn't that much of a loss. I've learned not to argue about editor's changes. Sometimes the changes make the article better and it's very rare that the changes actually make the article worse. Usually the changes are just to make the article fit in the space allowed. SpaceFlight Magazine always changes everything to the British spelling which took a little while to get used to. Now I kind of like these British spellings. I'm feeling a little British myself.

I've got to start packing for my trip to the observatory soon. I've always hated packing. I like to travel light, so I inevitably forget something essential. The temperature is already very cold at night on the top of Mount Locke, so I'm going to have to take winter clothes. The last time I was out at the observatory I brought the wrong shoes. What are the right shoes though? I still don't have any shoes that are comfortable for long periods of time. I'll probably err on the side of caution and wear snake-proof boots again.  It's probably already too cold for the snakes to be active, but there are lots of them out there. Did I mention that I hate snakes.

Mars reaches opposition with the sun tomorrow night. Since the planet won't get this close to us again until 2035, I took my telescope out for a look. I saw a bright orange disk, just like I did at the last opposition. My telescope isn't big enough to see polar icecaps or distinct features. It's still worth a look though. Maybe I'll get a better view when I'm out at the observatory.

It feels like another cold front has arrived. It was certainly cold when I took Dawn outside to pee before bedtime. I appreciate the cooler temperatures, but I wish the weather was more consistent. It's a crazy world. I wish everything was more consistent.

Kuuipo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3820

The weather was full of surprises today. I was expecting our morning walk to be hot, but there was a nice breeze. Actually it was quite windy. With the wind in our face, the walk was actually quite enjoyable. We had been thinking about shortening the walk for Dawn, but we easily completed our five miles this morning. Probably the wind and cooler temperatures were just a fluke. It's still Summer. We might have to shorten the walk tomorrow.

By mid-afternoon there was evidence that this morning's breeze might have stirred up more than I thought. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, but everything looked weird. There were hard shadows on the ground, but the sky wasn't blue. It had a strange grey tint and everything looked less bright than usual. It almost reminded me of the way the sky looks during a partial eclipse. When I got home I looked up the weather conditions and discovered that the air quality was very poor. Evidently there was a lot of particulate matter in the air. Was this a dust storm where the particles were so small that they didn't look dusty? I don't know. There were some high winds to the west of us earlier in the day.

When I was getting dressed this morning I noticed that the carport security light was on. Had it managed to fix itself overnight? The light went out after about five minutes just like it is supposed to do. Later, I went outside and waved my hands in front of the sensor trying to get the light to come on again. Nothing happened. I tried again this evening and the light was still dead. Things like this frustrate me. It this thing broken or not?

Today was really slow. I did a little correspondence in the morning, but that was about it. I need a new project that doesn't involve fixing things. There are certainly enough things that need fixing around the house. Broken things are discouraging though. I feel like the house has let me down. Couldn't the place just keep its act together for a few more years? I don't even know how to find good help anymore. All my favorite carpenters, plumbers, and craftsmen have either retired or died. No wonder traveling seems so appealing these days. You are quite literally just running away from your problems.

It still seems weird that everything is opening up while coronavirus cases still keep climbing in Texas. I read that Dallas is considered a hot spot now. It's almost like everyone collectively got tired of the whole thing and just decided to ignore it. I think masks will eventually just become fashion statements. There will be little sections in clothing stores selling them right next to the socks.

I've given up on life ever returning to normal. Actually, life probably never was normal. Weird stuff just keeps happening in endlessly repeating cycles because we never learn from our mistakes.

Liberty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3691

How can it be February already? It seems like I was trying to stay awake until midnight on New Year's Eve just a few days ago. Time flies. Tomorrow, we'll be watching the Superbowl again. I guess I'm for Kansas City although I don't know why. I haven't really followed either team this season. I hope the ads are better this year. I think Superbowl advertising has been going downhill for quite some time. I'm pretty old school. I still want to see a Budweiser ad with Clydesdales and a Dalmatian. I used to always go to a special game day Superbowl Sale at a clothing store that was once a client of mine. They had some great bargains, but I think the sale has been discontinued. Like almost everything else in life, Superbowl Sunday doesn't seem as familiar anymore.

When I was running errands this morning, I noticed that a little neighborhood watch repair shop I used for many years had gone out of business. The building was empty. Even the sign was gone. This made me a little sad. The owner was a nice guy but he was in poor health. The last time I saw him, he told me that he had to go in for dialysis three times a week. I wouldn't be surprised if he died. I wish I'd gone in to visit a few more times while the store was still open. I'm not all that interested in watches anymore, but I still could have stopped to say hello. Now the store is empty and I'll never know what happened. I can't even remember the guy's name.

I guess the press office folks at Kennedy Space Center don't work on weekends. I still had some questions on Friday but haven't received any answers yet. The schedule has changed so much that I'm not sure what to do now. Some of the most interesting parts of the event have been canceled and now there is a down day with nothing to do between all the briefings and the actual launch. I'd like to find out if I have the option to go to some of the events, but not all. Maybe I'll find out something on Monday. I'm reluctant to add another day to this already lengthy  trip, but I might have to.

This has been one weird winter. For now, I'm not complaining though. Today was beautiful. The sky was clear and it felt like an early spring day. I should have gone up on the roof this afternoon and maybe even washed my car, but I'm too slow for this many activities in a single day. After I ran my usual Saturday errands and took my walk, the day was essentially over. I'll probably regret not getting more done today because I just noticed that it might snow next Wednesday.

The building where Dot and Dash got cancer treatments was badly damaged by the tornado we had several months ago. I just learned that they decided not to rebuild and permanently closed the office instead. Now dogs will have to go to the clinic's Fort Worth office for treatment. I can't help but think how bad this would be if your dog was in the middle of treatment when the tornado hit. Dot and Dash had to go to the cancer center several times a week for radiation and chemotherapy treatments. It was hard enough to transport them to the nearby clinic when they were sick. Taking them to an entirely different city three times a week would have been a full time job.

No more Superbowl Sale. No more neighborhood watch repairman. No more convenient cancer center. And a whole new schedule for the Solar Orbiter launch. Why does everything have to keep changing?

Myles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3474

OK. I hear you. You guys like positive thoughts and accomplishments more than cynicism and despair. That's normal. You seem to appreciate a little emotion as well. Hey, if you keep reading long enough I'm sure you'll find both, but sometimes there are long dry spells. That's life. Truthfully, the only times you'll see any real emotion from me is when a dog dies or something life changing happens. Mostly life is about the little things. I go grocery shopping. I pay bills. I cope with the weather. And I wonder why the White Pelican got lost at our lake. It's all good. Little things matter. That being said, I do appreciate your approval when something big happens. I'm glad so many of you recognized that yesterday was a big day.

Today was a bit more subdued. There were no strawberries when I did my weekend grocery shopping and I had to stand in the checkout line again because the convenient little app on my phone doesn't seems to recognize that I'm old enough to buy beer. I picked up some toiletries at CVS and when the woman at the register asked if I had a rewards card I said no. "Why didn't I get my discount," I asked. "You need a reward card to get the discounts," the woman said. OK. I lied. I actually do have a rewards card but I always say no because I don't like getting that mile long CVS receipt. I gave her my number and she rang up my purchase again, tearing off the long roll of useless coupons on the receipt and throwing them in the trash.

I wonder when the city is going to haul away the debris from the wind storm. I see the trucks in other parts of town, but not ours. All the grass in our front yard is going to die because it has been covered up with brush for so long. I still need to get the tree guy to come back and remove what is left of the big Elm tree too. I haven't even begun to get estimates for replacing the green house. I have a feeling that I'll still be thinking about some of these tasks this Fall.

The only thing I've been doing consistently this Summer is walking. I've been walking at least five miles a day even on very hot days like today. One of these days I need to weigh myself before and after one of these walks. I feel like I'm sweating away about a pound of water every time I go outside. At least I'm always wearing a hat now. I discovered today that if I soak the hat in water before I leave, I'm a lot cooler.

The weather is so weird at this time of year. The sky was blue and full of puffy clouds when I began my evening walk. It looked like a nice Summer day. By the time I returned I was hearing thunder and there were ominous dark clouds everywhere. We were under a severe weather alert for a while, but didn't actually get much rain. I'm glad that the worst of the storm passed to the east of us. I'm not ready to go up on the roof again.

It's been two weeks since I've been to the gym. What I was doing last Sunday was certainly a lot more exciting than shooting hoops on the basketball court. I need to start planning a new trip. Maybe a dark sky trip to McDonald Observatory is next.

Sparky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2387

When I picked up my tape recorder at the repair shop, it occurred to me that I hadn't picked the best time to restore and refurbish my old studio. This was an ambitious project and I should have waited until all the unexpected expenses and emergencies subsided. Of course, when are unexpected things ever going to quit happening. If I waited until life was calm again, I'd be waiting forever. At any rate, there are still many things to fix, but I now have two functioning old school multi-track tape recorders again.

As most of you know, I'm fascinated with gadgets. Ever since we began having power outages in our neighborhood, I've been looking for the perfect emergency power source. Backup batteries don't last long enough to be really useful. Gasoline generators get the job done, but they are noisy, heavy, and you've got to keep them outside because of the exhaust. Lately, I've discovered solar powered generators. Even the largest of these devices won't power your entire house, but they seem perfect if you just need some LED lights, a laptop, a few cell phones, and a small portable refrigerator to keep you going. The only drawback I can see is that they are ridiculously expensive. Oh, and you need a lot of sunlight too. I was looking at the Goal Zero generators today. Very cool. All I need are a couple of these, an Airstream trailer, a satellite phone, and some acreage up in the mountains and I'm all set. Hey, there's nothing wrong with dreaming is there. My fantasy has always been complete self sufficiency. When I hear someone say "It takes a village," or "We've all got to work together as a team," it just makes me want to vomit.

The weather was weird today. When we woke up, the air was still and the humidity was oppressive. This was not the best environment for Dot. She got tired on her morning walk and we had to walk even slower than usual to make it back home again. I was a little worried about her at first, but she's back to normal now after a nice long nap. As the day progressed, it got darker and darker and by mid-afternoon we were in the path of a raging thunderstorm. Not surprisingly, the dogs got frightened by the thunder and lightning and I had to spend the rest of the afternoon calming them down. The only good thing about all this was that the temperature dropped twenty degrees. I won't have to water the grass tomorrow either.

I need to think of some better passive income ideas. With interest rates near zero, the stock market has been a big disappointment. The stock photography market has been an even bigger disappointment. I'm a good photographer, but you literally have to have thousands and thousands of images in circulation to make any significant income. Ditto for running ads on my websites. All these things showed promise and were even occasionally lucrative for me twenty years ago. I blame it all on globalization. When you are competing with billions of people instead of a few thousand, prices come down dramatically. Some bloggers started writing books when blogging fell out of favor. I don't think my life is weird enough to use it as the basis for a novel. I'm certainly not going to write a motivational or self help book. I've got nothing in the motivational department. Don't expect me to lift you up. If you're enjoying this, you're probably happy already.

Rascal is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day