Day 4978

Today was busier than usual. As always we started with a sunrise walk with Dawn. The temperature was in the high 80's and it felt muggy outside, but this was still the nicest part of the day. We walked earlier than usual because Janet had plans. The days are getting shorter and it was still kind of dark outside. If we continue walking this early, we're going to have to bring out the flashlights again soon.

After my regular breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit, I checked my messages and started a load of laundry. Since it was a little cooler today I decided to cross a few outdoor chores off my list. I've been trying to avoid removing the spiderwebs from the house for a long time, but it really had to be done. The spiders make big webs under our eaves and on the West facing windows. It's really a mess removing the spiders and their webs using a big broom. I wear a hat and a long sleeve shirt because spiders are falling everywhere. After you've had a few spiders in your hair, you learn to take precautions.

It took quite a while to clean everything up, but the windows look much better now. Maybe I'll clean them all with Windex tomorrow. I need to go to Home Depot and get some spider spray as well.  If I don't spray under the eaves, the spiders will all return soon. There are a ton of spiders and wasps in our yard. It's kind of amazing that more don't find their way inside.

After I cleaned up all the spiderwebs, I watered the plants in the atrium. This used to be easy, but is much harder now that the sliding glass door won't open properly. There is a water faucet inside the atrium but I haven't used it for years. The faucet is in a brick bearing wall that is also the wall to our bedroom on the other side. Once a long time ago this faucet broke and caused a plumbing emergency. I was really afraid that the house was going to flood. A talented plumber managed to fix the leak without tearing down the brick wall and I haven't used the faucet since. I water the plants from the outside now through the screened in western wall of the atrium.

After I folded the laundry and put it away, I went to the gym. I wondered if it was some kind of holiday because there wasn't a lot of traffic on the roads and the gym wasn't full at all. There were lots of parking spots in the garage. Getting rid of the spiders must have tired me out because I did terrible on my three mile walk today. I had the slowest time I've had all month. Oddly, I did much better on the basketball court. I completed my ten free throws in seven minutes today. It used to take me eleven or twelve minutes to do this. I'm adding additional weights on my upper body exercises now. I'm only adding a few pounds at a time, but any kind of progress is a good thing.

Friday is Dawn's favorite day of the week because that's when Janet does her grocery shopping. Dawn starts listening for the car at least an hour before Janet returns. I have to gate her in the bedroom while we bring the grocery bags inside and then as soon as I open the gate, Dawn races to the kitchen. She seems to love being Janet's kitchen helper. It probably helps that she get a little sliced turkey and a bit of cheese for her efforts.

This heat wave seems like it will never end. Each weeks feels a little hotter than the last. I think the temperature is supposed to reach 110 degrees sometime next week. I've kind of resigned myself to a miserable summer and keep hoping that the air conditioner doesn't break.

Hannah is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 4578

Today was just like yesterday. Tomorrow will probably be the same. I'm not happy with this heat wave, but what are you going to do. It's summer in Texas. I think it's been this hot before, but I mostly remember last summer, which seemed much cooler.

I've pretty much given up on walking in the park for a while. We still take our sunrise walk with Dawn, but even that is getting a little too warm. I always go outside after I finish breakfast to evaluate the weather and I'm not even tempted to take my long walk. It's just too hot.

I returned to the gym this morning and might keep going for the rest of the summer. When I used to just go to the gym on Sunday I was always surprised that so many people chose the same day as me. Now I realize that these people go every day. Some of the regulars seem to live there. If I go in the morning, they are there, and if I go in the afternoon, they are still there. I never stay more than two hours. On an average day, it's more like an hour and a half.

My routine is pretty simple these days. I shoot free throws on the basketball court until I get fifteen baskets. Sometimes this goes quickly and other times it takes a while. Next, I walk long enough on the indoor track to get my steps for the day. If Dawn takes a decent walk in the morning, I walk two miles. If Dawn doesn't feel like walking, I walk three miles. I spend a little time working with free weights before I go home. Today I used a machine where you sit on a bench and pull down on a weighted horizontal bar. I'm trying to stretch my bad shoulder a bit and get some more mobility. At first I couldn't use this machine at all because I couldn't raise my right arm above my head high enough to reach the bar. I'm getting better though. One benefit of going to this gym is that I can watch what all the physical therapists are doing with their patients and then do some of the same things myself. It's a nice gym and I could do a lot more, but mostly I'm just here to keep my Fitbit happy and get those steps.

I should have stayed inside when I returned home, but the spiderwebs on the windows continue to bug me and I decided to finish cleaning the windows. I only do a few windows each day so I won't get too hot. Our house has a lot of windows and spiders seem to love them. I think this is because lights from the house attract bugs in the evening and spiders build webs to catch the bugs. I always carry one can with window cleaner and another can with wasp spray when I am cleaning windows. Little by little I am getting rid of the wasp nests, but there are a lot of them. I think I'm making progress. The bedroom windows look a lot better when I'm taking a nap anyway.

I think Dawn has turned a corner with me. She no longer leaves the room when I'm in the bedroom during the day. We share the bed quite peaceably now. Maybe after spending nine days with me, she finally realized that I am not a threat to her. Dawn is also comfortable walking to the meadow behind our house with me now. She won't take a longer walk unless Janet is with me, but I think we are making progress. Janet seems pleased with this situation. I think she is eager to travel again.

I'm surprised that the week has gone so quickly since basically nothing has happened. This week's trash has been taken to the curb and I think I've remembered which parts of the yard needed to be watered. Maybe something interesting will happen soon, but I'm not counting on it.

Delaney is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 4276

The days are starting to run together. I'm having trouble telling one day from another. Long walks in the park are normal again. I still have some discomfort in my abdomen, but it is indistinguishable from a mild upset stomach. We still start our day with a sunrise walk, but Dawn isn't adventurous anymore. She's stuck to her basic one mile loop for several weeks now. I'm still having shredded wheat and fruit for breakfast. The Vitamix hasn't sat unused for this long in quite a while.

The missing Amazon package mysteriously appeared in our mailbox this morning. We have no idea whether Amazon redelivered the package or if a neighbor brought it over. If it was a neighbor, I have no idea which one. The house in the Amazon delivery picture wasn't remotely familiar. All is well though. Dawn now has the medicine she needs.

We woke up to a severe storm warning, but even though the storm was headed directly toward us in the weather radar, we got surprisingly little rain. For some reason the storm broke up and dissipated just before it reached our neighborhood. Although all we got were a few light sprinkles, the storm did keep the temperature cooler today. It felt more like Fall than Summer when I took my walk in the park.

I felt like spending another day sleeping, but Janet kind of shamed me into working. She's always busy around the house. I helped clean the windows which I should have done weeks ago. The outside of our windows get covered with spider webs in the Summer. The windows are a mess to clean which is why I tend to ignore them. The windows look great now, although I spent the afternoon covered in spiders and webs. Some of the spiders were pretty big. We have lots of glass in the house and the spiders like to build their web next to the windows because that's where the insects congregate at night. I'd like to think that there is some sort of benefit to having all these spiders, but so far I haven't found any.

The grass is looking pretty ratty. I don't feel up to pushing the mower yet, but I don't want to hire a lawn crew either. I'm trying to convince myself that the tall grass is developing equally deep roots. Maybe this is true because the grass still looks pretty green. Actually, everything is pretty green this year. Usually by mid September all the vegetation is dry and brown.

The current Covid surge is kind of weird. According to everything I read, hospitals are overflowing with Covid patients and things have never been worse. If this is true, why are cruise ships operating, why are stadiums full, and why are hotels, airlines, and resorts all running commercials urging people to travel again? I think the State Fair of Texas is planning on a normal in person run this Fall. Something is wrong with this picture. I still don't know anybody who has gotten sick, but maybe I just lead a sheltered life.

I think tomorrow will be nearly the same as today. No window cleaning though. Hopefully what we did today will last for the rest of the year.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3653 - Christmas

No white Christmas here. It actually felt more like the first day of Spring. With temperatures in the mid-70's, I was able to wear shorts and a t-shirt again. The unusually warm weather was fine with me. I had things to do.

Janet called to wish me a Merry Christmas after breakfast and then I got to work. I finished cleaning the windows and brushed away all the spider webs under the eaves. The window trim is looking pretty shabby in places. Actually the entire house could use a coat of paint, but we'll deal with that later. I also cleaned the atrium, which hasn't been touched in months. With the sliding glass door broken, it's hard to even get into the atrium these days. The house is starting to look better, but there's a long way to go.

I still need to finish patching the roof. It looks like the weather is going to remain warm for a few more days so I guess there is no rush. I doubt that my problems will be over when I finish using this bucket of silicon, but I must be doing something right. There hasn't been a leak in quite a while now.

I thought about going to a movie this afternoon, but there isn't really anything I want to see. I just took my regular walk instead. Even though it was a beautiful day, there weren't as many families out as there were on Christmas Eve. I guess that makes sense. After a morning of opening presents, probably the last thing you feel like doing is gathering everybody together for a long walk. Most of the people I saw today had a dog with them. Dogs are always ready for a walk.

This is our first Christmas without a dog in a long time. Dot and Dash used to love getting gifts and would eagerly tear off the wrapping paper to get at the treat or toy inside. They were just like children and always seemed to know when something was for them. I miss their exuberance.

On days where I'm physically active, I start to question my desire to spend time on a remote mountain in West Texas. I just don't have the energy I used to. I'm still pretty healthy but the aches and pains are real. Life on Mount Locke is pretty basic. I guess I won't know if I have what it takes until I try. I'll give the observatory a call after the first of the year and work out living arrangements. I'm still planning to go out there this Spring.

I used to always buy something for the company after Christmas so I could expense it on my taxes. Retirement changes all that. When you are actively trying to downsize, the last thing you need is more stuff. Janet and I don't even exchange Christmas gifts anymore. We have everything we need.

I guess the only thing I'd like now are a few more experiences. I'd still like to become a space journalist. Everything I've seen so far courtesy of NASA has been fascinating. I'm usually the oldest guy at the launch pad, so I have a unique point of view. I may be deluding myself, but I think I'll be able to publish more. Two articles in less than a year is a good start. I'd also like to see distant galaxies with my own eyes. Spending time at a major observatory is a good way to do this. These are worthy goals but are not exactly burning desires. I just need to be careful not to talk myself out of doing all this. It would be so easy to do nothing at all.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3652

It was a very quiet day. I was going to watch one episode of The Expanse per day during this holiday week, but I've already completely finished Season 4. That didn't take long. After breakfast I started washing the windows on the house. This will take a while. The windows certainly needed a good cleaning. It's a messy job because you have to clear away all the spider webs first. The living room windows do look better now, but my shoulder feels worse. I finished the back of the house, but the rest will have to wait. Maybe I'll do some more tomorrow, or maybe not. It depends on the weather.

It was such a nice day today that I thought I'd try to patch a few more areas on the roof. To my surprise, there was still some standing water. Where did that come from? I don't even think it has rained recently. I found a few dry areas to patch, but I'll have to go back later when the roof is completely dry. There's not a lot more I can do anyway. Most of the bad spots have already been patched and I'm almost out of silicon.

The only clue I had that it was Christmas Eve was the number of families walking together in the park. It must be a Christmas tradition for some to take a family walk. I never see large family groups walking together unless it's a holiday. I'll have to admit that it was a good day for a walk. The skies were clear and the temperature was almost seventy degrees.

I was expecting a lot of swelling and discomfort after getting my shingles shot, but so far I've felt nothing at all. My theory is that I took a long walk right after getting the shot and maybe this caused the vaccine to disburse throughout my body more rapidly. On the other hand, maybe I just don't react to this particular vaccine. The pneumonia shot I got earlier this year did make my arm sore, but I guess all medicines are different. I'm fine with no reaction. It will make taking the second shot easier.

The stock market is doing a lot better than it was last year at this time. The roof is just the same however. I actually think I was up on the roof patching things with the silicon material last Christmas Eve. The big difference is that Dash isn't here. I really miss that dog. He was headed downhill last Christmas, but he could still walk and was eating fairly well. We never dreamed that he would only make it until April.

I doubt that I'll do anything special tomorrow. I don't really feel like it. I'll make my smoothie and take my long walk. That's enough. It's too bad I already squandered the TV show I was waiting to watch. Binge watching is kind of like eating too much for dinner. You regret it afterwards.

Dash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3431

Every one in a while I will revisit a restaurant I've abandoned just to see if the menu has changed or if there is a new chef. Today I went back to a neighborhood place that used to be a favorite of mine and much to my surprise the restaurant was gone. The building was completely empty and there was a big For Lease sign on the window. I wonder what happened? I guess I don't understand the restaurant business. The last time I was here the food was decent and there were lots of customers.

Since I couldn't eat in an empty building, I went to another restaurant I hadn't visited for a while. This one was still open, but it seemed pretty empty. This was another place that used to have a good breakfast crowd. My Eggs Benedict came on a pretty square plate, but the chef clearly didn't know how to poach an egg. I felt like going back to the kitchen and showing him how to make this dish.

I don't know where I'm going to go next Friday. Clearly I didn't have a lot of luck today. Breakfast is a simple meal. It's easy to tell if the restaurant is using fresh, real ingredients or just something they got off the Sysco food service truck. You can always tell if the hash browns are fresh or frozen. I suspect that my entire meal was frozen food service fare this morning.

I took my regular long walk when I returned home, but I must have been a glutton for punishment today because I decided that it was a good day to clean all the windows and remove the spiderwebs from the house. This is a messy but necessary job. I try to do it just once a year.

I thought the pressure washer would make the job easier, but it actually made the situation worse. The spray was strong enough to remove paint but apparently wasn't strong enough to remove spiderwebs. I should have just used a garden hose. It took forever just to get the pressure washer started. The ground lift safety feature that was supposed to keep me from being shocked wasn't working properly and the power kept cutting out. To make matters worse, Mud Dauber wasps had tried to make a nest in the nozzles and sealed the tubes with mud. I guess I don't use the pressure washer very frequently.

The windows look pretty good now although it still feels like I've got a few spiderwebs in my hair. Sadly, I just finished the back half of the house. I've got to do this all over again to remove the spiderwebs from the front. These spiders are relentless. They build webs that are stronger than Superglue and then they poop all over the window trim. Nature is nice, but there are times when when I'd rather live on the seventeenth floor of a nice new high rise.

Mr. Fitbit should be happy today. I certainly took quite a few steps. Staying active doesn't seem to be a problem. I take two long walks every day now and usually try to do something useful around the house. Finding something I actually enjoy doing is going to be more problematic.

Susie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 2725

We thought we'd see if Dash would take a longer walk if we both walked him. That seemed to do the trick. Dash took a nice long walk without any hesitation. I'm not sure what this proves, but it isn't a very practical solution. It's rare that we have time to take a family walk. I know that Dash always preferred to walk with Dot. Hey buddy, I'd rather walk both dogs too, but that's not going to happen anymore. We're all going to have to adjust to Dot being gone. I wonder if Dash knows what happened? He saw us carry Dot out the door and she never returned. I wish I could tell him that everything is going to be OK.

Today I learned that the pressure washer is great for cleaning bricks and concrete, but it is terrible for removing spiderwebs. I tried to clean the windows on the back of the house this afternoon and ended up getting spiders all over me.  The webs were so sticky that I had trouble dislodging them with the water spray. Once again, nature wins. The water was powerful enough to penetrate the window frames and get inside the house, but the webs seemed impervious to damage. I also learned that it's not a good idea to use use the power washer nozzle to spray away a spider that landed on your leg. Ouch. It was just instinct, but I shouldn't have done that.

The windows eventually got cleaned, even though I had to resort to a bleach soaked wet rag to finish the job. The sad thing is that in two weeks, the spiders will all be back. They build web near the windows because it's a great place to catch bugs. Flying insects are attracted to the light from the windows at night and the industrious spiders ensnare them with their webs. Don't even get me started about the lizards. In a month from now, there will be lizards crawling on our windows at night as well.

I can live with most of these critters, but I draw the line at rats. I went to a pest control store and bought some attractant that is supposed to be much better than peanut butter or cheese as bait. I cleaned all the traps, moved them around to new locations, and baited them with the attractant gel. We'll see. I"d better have a rat in the morning.

I started doing a little research about viewing the eclipse this August. It became apparent very quickly that the big problem will be the weather. Once you've picked a location, you pretty much rule out all the other locations. I'm sure there will be people who decide to change locations at the last minute to increase their odds of clear skies, but all this is going to do is create monumental traffic jams. Based on prior history, there is about a 40% chance of cloudy weather at many of the best locations. Based on my own experience, you just can't predict the weather. We were supposed to have clear weather when my Dad and I traveled to see the Alaskan eclipse in 1963, but a cloud covered the sun at the last minute. When NASA invited me to Vandenberg Airforce Base to view a satellite launch a few years ago, everything was going perfectly until a few minutes before lift off. Once again, weather surprised us and the launch was scrubbed at the last minute. I guess if you want to see the eclipse, you've just got to pick a location and take your chances. Just like my experience with the spiders, mother nature is going to win this one too.

I got a lot done today. Hopefully, I will do the same tomorrow. I plan on going to the gym. Since the gym is indoors, there will be no rats or spiders to deal with. It's sad that it takes a rat to make the gym appealing to me, but if this gets me exercising, I guess it's a good thing.

Escher is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 2305

I wonder if everybody has a section  of their yard that is completely useless. Ours is a narrow corridor connecting the front and back yard on the Eastern side of the house. The neighbors have erected a tall wood fence on the property line that totally blocks the view and turns the area into a dark, useless area where leaves accumulate in the winter and spider webs cover the windows in the Summer. The area is fenced off so the dogs can't escape and I rarely go there. Occasionally I have to clean the windows though and today seemed like a good day. It took several hours to clear away the spider webs with a broom, but at least this loathsome task is out of the way for another six months. The little side yard is still useless, but the windows don't look quite as disgusting now.

After lunch, I took my pitiful birthday card to the post office and picked up some Pad Thai for dinner on the way home. I've completely lost interest in cooking lately. Hopefully, this is temporary, since cooking used to be a good way to occupy my time on slow days like today. Now, my time is occupied by taking care of Dot.

I know I'm losing readers by talking about poop all the time, but it often seems like cleaning up Dot's accidents is all I do. She made a huge mess in her bed last night and I had to get up at 2 AM and clean her up. She pooped again while she was eating breakfast in the kitchen and a third time while I went to the post office. I give her plenty of opportunities to go outside, but often she just wanders around smelling things while I follow behind, holding up her rear legs. It's frustrating. After wandering around aimlessly in the yard for twenty minutes, she'll come back inside, go to her bed, and poop in her sleep an hour later. I can't imagine being a nurse in an assisted living facility, because they probably have to deal with the same issues with old people day after day. There's nothing glamorous about incontinence whatsoever.

There were a few website updates on the schedule today, but nothing that kept me occupied for very long. I've really got to rethink my employment prospects. Most of my best clients have retired or died. What happens now? I guess I'm semi-retired myself, but I hate to admit it. I was really happier when I was busy every day and felt like I was on the cutting edge. I'll have to admit that growing old gracefully is a lot more difficult than I imagined.

Tomorrow is kind of a space geek day. In lieu of actually being there, I'll watch the live streaming video of the Space X Dragon launch on my computer. Maybe this time they'll be successful at landing the booster on their drone ship at sea. Weather permitting, tomorrow evening should be a good opportunity to see the planet Mercury right after sunset. Since the planet is located right next to a new crescent moon, it should be easy to find. Of course, there's a brand new restaurant to look forward to tomorrow as well. It ought to be a good day.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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