Day 4595

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

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

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

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

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

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

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4594

It was a busy day. The good news was that I got the recall work done on my car without a lot of problems. They were ready for me when I arrived and the car was finished as promised by the end of the day. It is a shame that loaner cars seem to be a thing of the past. They sold them all when new cars were impossible to get from the factory. Now they just call an Uber for you and give you a ride home. Hey, it's better than nothing I guess. I have no idea what they actually did on the recall. The car was running fine before the recall work and it is still running fine.

The bad news is that I can't find a hotel for my upcoming trip to attend the Artemis-1 launch. I knew that hotels were going to be tight for this launch, but I had no idea that they would be sold out a full month ahead of time. I'll continue looking tomorrow. It looks like I'll be staying a lot further from Kennedy Space Center than I'd like. I really hope I don't have to stay in Orlando. I suspect that I'll have the same problem with rental cars. You can't really plan a trip like this too far in advance though. Truthfully, I didn't really think I'd get press credentials for this popular launch. Without credentials, there would have been no point in making the trip at all. I've always stayed at the same hotel on previous trips to Titusville. You'd think being a regular customer would help me get a room. Nope. Sold out just means sold out.

Since I didn't have a car for most of the day, I couldn't go to the gym. I took my long walk in the park again and almost instantly regretted it. It is still way too hot to take an enjoyable five mile walk. I soldiered on and completed my route, but I'm definitely going to return to the gym as soon as it opens again on Monday. There still seems to be no end in sight for these hundred degree days. The forecast is discouraging. It looks like triple digits as far as the eye can see.

I got my grocery shopping done later in the afternoon after my car was finished. It's a lot better to shop early in the morning. Everything disappears quickly. The first store I went to didn't have strawberries and the second store I went to didn't have my favorite beer. I didn't have a long list today, but it seemed to take an inordinate amount of time to find everything. Maybe it was the heat. I couldn't wait to get back home and take a nap with Dawn.

We had Chinese take out for dinner again. The restaurant I like had a coupon that said I'd save $8 on my order if I ordered online. I gave it a try and only saved one dollar because of some additional online charges. The food was still good though. I hope this little neighborhood restaurant manages to stay in business. It looked alarmingly empty today when I went to pick up my order.

I'm still trying to decide whether to go out to the observatory at the end of September. There is a rare special viewing night at the 82" Otto Struve telescope and it isn't sold out yet. Only one place left though. Is this worth the terrible drive out there? It's hard to say. The Otto Struve is one of the largest telescopes in the world that occasionally provides access to the general public. There is no guarantee that you'll see anything though. I've made the long drive several times only to find cloudy skies or rain when I arrived.

We'll take Dawn to get ice cream tomorrow, but her Sunday outing won't include an afternoon walk. It's just too hot outside. I'm sure I'll still take my walk in the park though. I'm closing in on completing a full year of meeting my step goals. I'd hate to blow it now just because of some hot weather. Wish me luck at finding a hotel in Titusville tomorrow. I should have been more optimistic and booked a hotel before I got my press credentials.

Jewel is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4593

Yay. NASA approved my application for press credentials and it looks like I will be attending the Artemis-1 launch later this summer. Forget everything I said yesterday. This launch definitely won't look like all the others. The Space Launch System is the largest rocket we've ever built and it's headed to the moon. Well, this first one is headed around the moon anyway. Hopefully, I'll get lucky about the launch dates. The trip could still get expensive if the launch gets delayed after I'm already in Florida.

All in all, it wasn't a bad day. I entered a few of my astrophotography pictures in a Dark Skies photo contest, went to the gym in the morning, and got a haircut in the afternoon. The weather was still very hot, but other than our sunrise walk with Dawn I managed to stay indoors. These sunrise walks provide a good preview of what the day is going to be like. It was humid this morning. I hate getting hot and sweaty before the sun even comes up. Sunrise walks are still tolerable though and Dawn likes them.

I haven't had the nerve to check airfare and hotel rates for my upcoming trip to Florida yet. I'm sure it will be more expensive than last time. I can't think of a single thing that has gotten less expensive this year. Sign of the times I guess. I think travel is still beneficial though. I don't do much, but it's good thing to have something to look forward to. Who knows. I may make it as a space journalist yet.

I got stung by a bee again this morning. This is the second time in a week. Technically, I guess I got stung by a wasp, but it still felt the same. These wasps are everywhere in our yard. It's hard to avoid them. I really hope that Dawn doesn't get stung. She's scared of almost everything already. I definitely don't want her to get scared of going out in the back yard. Lounging in the grass on a sunny day is one of her favorite things.

I always feel better after a haircut. I don't know why I spent my younger years wearing my hair longer. Shorter is definitely better. Especially in the summer. My hair is a lot thinner now, but it still seems to grow fast. It's funny. Yesterday I said I typically don't get a haircut unless I've got a trip planned. Well, now I've got a trip planned again. I still can't decide whether to go back to the observatory this year. One thing at a time is probably best.

I take my car in tomorrow morning for the factory recall. It seems like my car is a little old to still be getting recall notices, but you hate to ignore these things. Hopefully the dealership will do what they promised and won't keep my car over the weekend. They said the repair should only take two hours. I've heard that before. Two hours means about the same thing as two weeks to these guys. We'll see how it goes. I've got groceries to buy tomorrow and being without a car will complicate things.

Pongo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4592

I never imagined that summer would be a never ending string of hundred degree days. This is getting old. The temperature was a bit cooler this morning since it was overcast. The skies were dark and it looked like it was raining somewhere. Unfortunately we didn't get any. The cloudy skies did knock the temperature down a bit though. It stayed below 90 until mid afternoon. It's weird when 90 degrees feels like a cold wave.

It's so dry out that we put some water out for the squirrels. I'm not fond of squirrels, but they deserve water too. Watering outdoor plants had become a daily necessity. It's amazing how quickly everything dries up. A patch of Asian Jasmine out of reach of our sprinkler is already dead. I just paid the July water bill and it has gone up considerably. I'm sure the August bill will be even worse.

It was back to the gym again after breakfast this morning. I was terrible on the basketball court today. Weird. I was pretty good yesterday. Getting my steps on the gym's indoor track is boring, but it still beats walking outside. Each time I complete a lap, I calculate how much time I have left in my head. I'm surprised at how much time people spend talking at the gym. At times everyone seems to be chatting with someone except for me. You probably have to be able to carry on a good conversation to get hired as a trainer at this place. If people aren't talking, they are looking at their phones. Even when I'm walking in the park, I see people who are constantly looking at their phones. I don't get it. I still prefer solitude. The voices in my head are just fine.

The Land Rover dealership called today to remind me of my Saturday appointment. Unfortunately, they had totally forgotten what I was coming in for. I wanted to confirm that I'd be able to pick my car up the came day and the service representative said, "No, you'll have to leave it here for seven days before we can get to it." Wait a minute. You guys told me that it would be ready in two hours. We finally got it straightened out that I was coming in for a scheduled factory recall instead of an engine repair. They eventually confirmed that the car would be ready by the end of the day Saturday, but I have no faith in these guys. I wish I could just take the car to the other repair place, but the dealership is the only place that deals with factory recalls. 

I've got an appointment for a haircut tomorrow. I usually get a haircut before I travel somewhere, but there are no travel plans this time. Finally there are firm dates for the Artemis-1 launch and Special Viewing nights at the McDonald Observatory's historic 82" telescope. These are both events that I've been waiting for, but I'm losing my interest in going to either of them. There are three tentative dates for the Artemis-1 launch, all two or three days apart. If I go down to Florida for the first launch opportunity, it would be just my luck that the launch would be delayed until the last scheduled date almost a week later. This could be very expensive and hotels are booking up already. Covid restrictions are returning too. Is this even worth it?  I'm putting the cart before the horse though. My press credentials haven't even been approved yet. The trip out to the observatory is a little different. I'm not sure I want to make that long drive ever again. Each time I make the drive it seems a little worse. 

It's kind of sad that taking a nap with Dawn is right up there with rocket launches in terms of my priorities. That's where I'm headed though. I'm tired and have nothing to prove anymore. After a while one rocket launch begins to look exactly like the next one and the night sky always looks more or less the same. I'm starting to question what fun actually is. These days I think getting a good night's sleep is fun.

It looks like another triple digit day tomorrow. I've taken the trash out to the curb and watered the lawn. It's time to get some sleep.

Katie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4591

Today is the 53rd anniversary of the first moon landing. We need more events like this. It might have been the last time the entire world felt good about something. Nevermind the fact that the Apollo program was all about the Cold War and the moon landing probably never would have happened if we weren't in a race to beat the Russians. It was still a stupendous achievement. I remember those days well. I was in college then and wasn't nearly as cynical. I actually believed all those who said we would have cities on Mars by now. What happened? There are no cities on Mars and the cities on Earth are crowded and very unsafe.

Dawn didn't have training class this evening. It was too hot. The temperature slowly builds throughout the day and it is usually hottest right around sunset. The sun has already set and it is still 104 degrees at our house. Hey, it is only 80 degrees indoors though. By bedtime, the temperature will be down to 78 and tomorrow morning it will be 75 again. It is actually probably a bit cooler in most rooms. The thermostat is right next to the air return for the AC and this is the warmest place in the house. 

I've really started to appreciate our sunrise walks with Dawn because they are the only times when the weather seems tolerable. This morning there was a nice breeze and we had a very enjoyable walk. As soon as the sun peeks above the horizon you can instantly feel the difference. The sun feels hot even at sunrise. Dawn seems perfectly content to just get one walk a day now. She's basically a very lazy dog and spends most of her time sleeping on the bed anyway.

I try to stay busier, although sleeping on the bed during the day sounds pretty good to me as well. I went back to the gym again after eating breakfast and checking my messages on the computer. Until our heat wave is over, this will probably be my routine for the rest of the summer. I might even try mall walking this Sunday when my gym is closed. I just don't think it is healthy to be out in this heat for very long. My summer routine at the gym is pretty much the same every day. I walk several miles on the indoor track to get my Fitbit steps and then I shoot some baskets on the basketball court for fun before I head home again. I always hope that I can find a space in the parking garage, because the car heats up very quickly if left out in the sun. I don't want anything to melt.

There isn't a lot to do in the afternoon. This is when I often take a nap if I feel so inclined. Janet likes to watch movies on her devices, but I have trouble doing this. I have trouble picking up a book either. Occasionally I will look at Amazon or New York Times best seller lists but I don't see any literary masterpieces. Every celebrity has a book these days. I should have been a ghost writer. I know these guys didn't write their books themselves. Actually, I should just start methodically re-reading all the books on my office bookshelves. I can't remember what is in most of them, but I know that I used to have good taste in books and enjoyed them all. It's hard to believe that I really read all these books. There are hundreds of them.

There is all this squabbling right now about fossil fuel versus renewal energy. Absolutely nobody is talking about the real problem. There are way too many people on the planet chasing too few resources. Humans are like Kudzoo Vines. We chop down all the trees to make houses and eat all the fish out of the sea. We should be planting more trees. Everyone is worried about greenhouse gasses, but trees actually love CO2. They convert the stuff into oxygen. We just don't get it. Instead of planting forests, we create vast deserts and then build solar panel farms on them. Nature tries to help by sending us new diseases every year designed to reduce our population. We're like busy beavers though and always find a cure for these diseases. We never learn. We keep building bigger cities and can't seem to produce enough food. I still think at the rate things are going humans will be extinct in 300 years.

On that happy note I will continue watching a small line of storms to the North of us on the weather radar. I was hoping that we might get some of that rain later this evening, but the storms seem to be dissipating. Who would have thought that after all my complaining about roof leaks, I would actually be hoping for rain.

Lady Jane is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4590

It's going to be a very long summer. Every day seems the same. The relentless heat takes away my desire to do anything. Our sunrise walk with Dawn feels like what you'd expect at noon in a normal year. This is the only walk that Dawn gets now. It's far too hot for an afternoon walk. It's too hot for anything. I eat my breakfast, check my messages on the computer, and then wonder what to do next.

This morning I went to the gym fairly early. I have no burning desire to exercise, but it is something to do.  I'm getting better on the basketball court, but I'm not very athletic. All I do is shoot free throws. I'm not very fast on the indoor track either, but my Fitbit doesn't care. I make sure to walk at least 10,000 steps and close all the activity rings on my Apple Watch. I've actually learned a lot watching other people's personal trainers. Maybe someday I'll put these fitness tips to good use. I think I'm in reasonably good shape but older, heavier people often pass me on the track. Usually after about an hour and a half I've had enough and I head back home again.

My phone said that there was a new version of the Polaris app available, so I downloaded it. Strangely, it was exactly the same as the version I downloaded last week. Since I didn't have anything better to do, I set the star tracker up again and put it through it's paces. I had better luck today and the camera only disconnected from the tracker once. I have a feeling that some of the problems I've been having might be user error. It's hard to tell though, since there has never been an instruction manual for this thing. Most of what I've learned comes from the Facebook user group and the majority of these other users don't know any more than I do. 

I wish it were easier to keep our house cool. We have a ton of single pane windows that act just like radiators in the summer. When you stand near them you can feel the heat. The roof isn't insulated well either. Originally, the house had a thick tar and gravel roof that provided excellent insulation. When it came time to replace this roof, we discovered that nobody does tar and gravel roofs anymore. The thinner roofing materials that replaced the tar and gravel don't provide much insulation at all. I have a feeling that the weather was cooler fifty years ago as well. There were also more large Oak trees that provided a lot of shade. Several of these trees have died and the remaining ones are not in great shape. It all adds up to a house that isn't that comfortable in triple digit weather. Our air conditioning system is doing all it can. Most AC systems will only lower the temperature about twenty degrees. This means when the temperature is over 100 degrees outside, it can still approach 80 degrees inside.

I still wish I could hibernate like a bear. Napping is the next best thing though. Dawn has finally realized that nothing bad happens when we share the bed for an afternoon nap. We're actually getting along pretty well now. Maybe those nine days we spent together while Janet was on vacation helped. It's a good thing we can nap together. What else is there to do on a hot July day.

I'll probably go back to the gym tomorrow morning. I need to mow the grass but I'd rather wait for a cloudy day. It's time to get a haircut again too. Maybe I'll make an appointment tomorrow. I'm sure there are all sorts of things I could do if I was more industrious. We'll wait until it's cooler for that. This heat has killed my motivation.

Jade is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4589

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beemer is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4588

We are well on our way towards having the worst summer of all time. There are so many triple digit days ahead of us in the weather forecast that chances are good that we will set an all time record soon. It's not a good sign when you start to sweat on a pre-dawn walk with your dog. Our sunrise walk wasn't that bad though and we got Dawn back to the house before it got too hot. My long walk after breakfast was quite a bit worse. I managed to complete my entire route and was back at the house before 10:30 AM. The walk still wore me out though. Janet says I ought to go mall walking when my gym is closed. Actually, it's a pretty good idea. Walking around Northpark Mall on a hot day would probably be more interesting than walking around the indoor track at the gym.

Dawn got her Sunday outing, but we didn't do much walking. We just let her out of the car for a few minutes at the Sunday park to smell things and then headed straight for the ice cream store. I don't know why the store picked National Ice Cream day to raise their prices, but they did. It was so hot that the ice cream was a little soft. It seemed a bit like Dairy Queen soft serve, but it was still good. 

Since I definitely didn't want to go outside again, I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to upgrade the star tracker. There always seems to be an app upgrade or new firmware available for this thing, but I'm usually very apprehensive to install it. Once burned, twice shy I guess. I should have known that this latest firmware upgrade would break my camera connection again. I've been through this before. Benro sends me a custom software patch that fixes the problem and then a few days later there is a new firmware update that breaks things all over again. It's a good thing I don't actually need this star tracker. I've spent hours and hours testing this thing, but have only used it once to photograph the night sky on my last trip out to McDonald Observatory. I guess all these problems are par for the course for being a beta tester. It's frustrating though. I don't know why the company keeps trying to upgrade this product. It seemed to work fine to me several months ago.

Dawn has finally realized that I am not a threat when I nap on the bed with her. We coexist on the bed pretty well now. When I decide to take a nap, she no longer gets up and leaves the room. She doesn't even look alarmed. You can tell Dawn is starting to worry when her ears are laid back. When they are relaxed, she is fine. It's a good thing that Dawn is finally warming up to me. I can appreciate why she likes staying on the bed. The room is cool and the bed is comfortable. It's too bad I can't hibernate like a bear. I'd like to just take a very long nap until this heat wave is over.

Janet fixed a great dinner tonight. I'm glad she likes to cook because I sure don't. I do like to eat though and it was a nice way to end a very hot day. Tomorrow we'll go visit the rescue Dalmatians again. I think we need to take Spot back to the vet although I'm not sure why. I hope he rides well in the car because it's my turn to drive this week. I don't think I'll attempt another walk in the park. I'll probably go to the gym when we get back from the kennel. I'd still rather hibernate like a bear until this horrible summer is over. Jeez. When are we going to get some rain?

Riley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4587

I wonder how long this heat wave is going to last? We've got to be setting some new records here. We probably should start taking our sunrise walk a little earlier. It's already pretty warm when we leave the house. These early walks are still the only nice part of the day. It gets hot very quickly.

I did my grocery shopping right after breakfast. It was nice to have a car again. Ordinarily, I would have gotten gas today, but I have to let the tank get down to less than a quarter full before I can get the factory recall work done on my fuel system. My shopping list was a little longer today, but I still managed to get back to the house before 11 AM. 

I went back to the gym today because who wants to walk in this weather. I still can't figure out why I walk slower on an indoor track than outdoors. It's counterintuitive. I got my steps and spent a little time on the basketball court, but that was it. I had no real desire to complete an extensive exercise routine today. Actually, I thought the gym was closing at 1 PM but I was wrong. I checked later and it is open until 4 PM on Saturday. If this weather continues, I'll be going back to the gym all next week. That should drain my gas tank fairly quickly. My car gets terrible gas mileage.

This afternoon was uneventful. I did a load of laundry and charged some batteries. It seems like I always have batteries to charge. There are laptop batteries, camera batteries, audio equipment batteries, watch batteries, power tool batteries, as well as the lawn mower battery and several large uninterrupted power supply batteries. I don't think I will ever get an electric car because batteries have become my nemesis. I'm always forgetting to charge the ones I really need.

I thought that Dawn would return to normal as soon as Janet got back from vacation. She's still acting weird though. For the past several days she won't come out to the kitchen and eat her dinner until Janet returns to the house. When Janet does come back, she doesn't even greet her. She races right out to the kitchen and eats her dinner. This seems very strange to me. At least she's still eating. She ate normally when Janet was gone too, although it took a few days.

I'm trying to decide whether to go back to the observatory later this Fall for a Special Viewing Night at the large 82" telescope. The observatory has resumed these special viewing opportunities that had been canceled during the Covid lockdowns. I'd really enjoy looking through this historic telescope, but I hate the long drive and I have pretty bad luck about arriving on a rainy day. Artemis-1 is supposed to launch this Fall as well. I would definitely go see the Artemis-1 launch first. I have a feeling that I'll probably sign up for a Special Viewing Night though. By Fall, I'll be bored to tears. I really need to find something I enjoy doing in Dallas. It's too complicated and expensive to always have to go to Florida or West Texas for a little fun.

It's going to be too hot for Dawn's regular Sunday outing tomorrow. We'll take her to the alternate park anyway, just so she can sniff around a little before heading for the ice cream store. I'm sure she won't miss a walk in the hot sun. She does like her ice cream though.

Laura is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4586

Well, my wallet is a little lighter, but I have my car back. I still can't believe how expensive catalytic converters have become. It's ridiculous. Your car will run just fine without one, but it's something you've got to have. Rules and regulations. This unforeseen expense makes me want to drive a simple older car. That wouldn't work though. I already drive an older car. When your car is over ten years old, things start falling apart left and right.

It was still hot today but it didn't seems as bad as earlier in the week. Maybe I'm just getting used to this ridiculous weather. Dawn only gets one walk a day now, since it is too hot for an afternoon walk. Our sunrise walk is still tolerable, but even that is starting to feel uncomfortable. I'm taking my long walk right after breakfast now, but I think I'll return to the gym tomorrow. That was the only thing I missed about being without a car all week. My addiction to Fitbit steps made me walk outdoors when it would have been a lot smarter to stay inside.

I think they are almost finished with the new path through the park. I watched a crew pour the last segment of concrete this morning. I'll kind of miss all the activity. Watching all the construction gave me something to do now that all the animals are in hiding. The only bad thing about this new super path is that there will be a lot more bicycles. Dawn loves to cross from one side of these paths to the other in search of the best smells. You really have to watch for bicycles approaching behind you. They are fast and they are silent.

I'm still having problems entering the Dark Skies photo contest. Why do people put websites online that don't work? I see this all the time. Some of my favorite restaurants have websites that don't work and I always have to call in my order. Maybe I notice this more since I spent so many years developing websites myself. Jeez. You are supposed to test these things before you take them live. I'm sure I made plenty of mistakes myself, but I did test my websites extensively. Mostly I just didn't want my clients yelling at me.

Janet got some steaks for dinner but they didn't arrive home with her. We think the checker just forgot to put them in the bag, but who knows. Probably the next person in line got a nice surprise in their bag. I was surprised that the store replaced the meat without any proof of what actually happened. I was also surprised at the cost of steaks. I usually buy the bulk items and Janet buys the perishable stuff, so I've lost track of how expensive many things have gotten lately. I don't think anything is getting cheaper.

Dawn is still getting upset whenever Janet leaves the house. I'm sure she's worried that Janet is going on another vacation. It's a shame that Dawn worries like this. Janet hates being housebound and I hate leaving the house. It would work out better if Dawn got upset when I left the house because I'm almost always here. 

It's time to make a grocery list again. At least I've got a car to go grocery shopping though. I hope that nothing else breaks this summer. After the air conditioner, the dishwasher, and now the car, I think enough is enough.

Lizzy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4585

There was rain in the forecast today. I was hoping we'd get some, but we didn't get a drop. The sky darkened and I heard thunder, but the storm passed a little to the east of us. Usually, I'm always trying to avoid the rain, but today I was disappointed. The rain would have cooled things down a bit and our yard could have used a good soaking.

At least it was a little cooler this morning. Our sunrise walk with Dawn was pleasant and the weather was still reasonably nice when I took my long walk after breakfast. I really thought I was going to get wet today because the sky kept getting darker the further I walked. It's a shame that the rain went elsewhere.

I was hoping to hear something about my car today. No calls or progress reports though. I didn't call them. I've learned not to bother repair people. It just makes them mad and never makes the job go faster. Hopefully, I'll still get the car back sometime tomorrow. The shop is closed over the weekend and I'd hate to be without a car on Saturday and Sunday. If I was smart I would have just kept the car until the part arrived. Your car will run fine without a catalytic converter. You just don't want to get it safety inspected.

Dawn started acting weird again when Janet left the house this afternoon. She refused to leave the bedroom and wouldn't even come out to eat her dinner. I thought that Dawn would relax after Janet returned from vacation. Nope. Every time she leaves the house Dawn starts acting worried. Maybe she thinks Janet is leaving on another vacation. It's sad that Dawn is still not entirely comfortable with me. I'm the one who is here at the house all the time. We really should be best buddies by now.

For the first time in several weeks the temperature didn't top 100 degrees. The high today was in the low 90's. Our air conditioner didn't struggle to keep the desired temperature and I was even mildly tempted to do some yard work. I stayed inside though. The temperature might have been a little lower, but the ants and wasps were still out in force. I'm afraid that today's milder weather was just an anomaly. We'll be back to triple digits tomorrow and it looks like the heat wave will continue for the rest of the month.

One downside to walking early in the morning is that there isn't much to do in the afternoon. There are still things on my to-do list that need attention, but I don't feel like doing them. This usually leads to mindless things like watering the lawn and doing laundry. I'm always up for a nap, but Dawn kept leaving the room this afternoon whenever I came in the bedroom and this made me feel guilty. She loves that bed and I can always nap on the couch.

I hate to see Covid making a resurgence. I really thought we were done with this thing. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if mask mandates and other restrictions return. I do know several people who have successfully avoided Covid  for the past two years, only to catch it within the past two weeks. I still haven't caught Covid. The main precaution I take is to avoid other people. It isn't hard, because I was doing this long before the virus arrived on the scene. I would be really surprised if I caught the virus at this point, but stranger things have happened. I learned a long time ago to never take anything for granted.

The trash has been taken to the curb and my week is essentially over. I have no real plans for tomorrow, although I would like to get my car back.

Dolly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4584

This heat is wearing me down. The entire day just seems like a futile effort to escape from it. The temperature on our sunrise walk with Dawn is already higher than the high of the day just a few weeks ago. By lunchtime the temperature is well over 100 degrees and it doesn't begin to cool down again until it is time to go to sleep. The air conditioner is working, but it can't keep up with the heat. We start out at 75 degrees in the morning and it is always over 80 by dinnertime. I'm sure it has been this hot before. I'm not so sure why people settled here in the first place. I'd rather be in the mountains right now. Telluride sound nice. So does Flathead Lake.

I continue to take my long walk right after breakfast. I'm still able to complete my route, but I need a change of clothes when I'm done. The trails are pretty empty these days. Only fools like me are out walking. As soon as my car repairs are finished, I'm headed back to the gym. I'm still kind of irritated about the cost of catalytic converters, but what can you do? I can't pass my annual safety inspection without one.

I tried entering an online photo contest this afternoon. After filling out the lengthy entry form, I discovered that the submit entry button didn't work. All that work for nothing. I thought I had a good photo too. This contest was put on by the International Dark Sky Association and I've got some fairly decent Milky Way photos. I probably wouldn't win anyway, but hopefully these guys can get the website fixed before the entry deadline closes. I rarely enter contests of any type, but I like this organization. I think I've even met some of these guys out at the observatory.

I got a letter from the Space Force today saying that my press credentials have been renewed for another year. This is good news. It means I've got a back up plan if NASA rejects my application to cover the Artemis-1 launch. The Space Force location for viewing launches isn't quite as close to the pads as the NASA Press Site, but it's still pretty good. There are actually quite a few Space Force launches during the year. I won't be able to afford to go to Florida for a while though. I've got a catalytic converter to pay for.

Dawn loves to lie out in the sun on days like this. Maybe this is why she's been itchy lately. I bet she gets bitten by ants. I get bitten by ants every time I'm out in the yard for any length of time. The ants are everywhere and it's increasingly difficult to keep them out of the house. I don't mind all the squirrels in our yard, but I wish the ants and the hornets would go away. I don't let Dawn stay out in the yard for too long. Ten or fifteen minutes at a time is plenty. I don't want her to get sunburned or have a heat stroke. I'm surprised she actually likes the sun because she also loves the air conditioning.

It was really a slow day. The big event of the day was reading a camera manual in an attempt to remember how to change a setting on one of my cameras. I eventually solved the problem, but I still hate that I forget things. Don't let anyone tell you that old people's memory is just as good as a younger person's. It's not. I really think there should be an age limit on politicians. There are far too many forgetful old people running things.

Watson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4583

When it rains is pours. I was hoping that something very minor was wrong with my car, but I didn't get luckly. I took the car to the shop first thing this morning and got the bad news a few hours later. One of my catalytic converters has gone bad and needs to be replaced. I can't ignore this because the car won't pass the safety inspection that is due next month without functioning catalytic converters. Third party converters aren't available for this model either, so I will need the expensive Range Rover catelytic converters. These things were never cheap, but now the price has gone up dramatically because of the rare earth materials that are used to scrub the vehicle's exhaust. I think a lot of the platinum and palladium used in catalytic converters comes from China or Russia. Also, the larger the engine, the more expensive the converter. None of this is good news for me. I could have replaced all my kitchen appliances for less than this is going to cost me.

It looks like I'll be walking in the park this week as well, since I don't think I'll get the car back until Friday. Each day I take these walks it seems to get hotter. Granted, I didn't get an early start today, but after the Uber driver took me home, I was still on my way before 9:30 AM. That wasn't early enough. There is no way to stay cool in triple digit weather. The long range weather shows these 100 degree days lasting for the next several weeks. No rain in sight either. My rational mind wants to just abandon the thought of getting my steps every day. My stubborn mind wants to keep going though. We'll see. I definitely need to get an earlier start tomorrow. Today's walk was miserable.

It's hard to get used to temperatures in the mid-80's on our sunrise walks with dawn. It never gets cool anymore and the air conditioner always seems to be running. I really hope that nothing goes wrong with the AC system this summer. Maybe since I recently replaced the motor in the outdoor unit, I won't have to do anything else for a while. It is a bit disconcerting to hear the AC running constantly. All I know is that mechanical things break a lot more frequently than you'd like.

The new pictures that were released today from the James Web Space Telescope are pretty amazing. It's hard to wrap your mind around the sheer number of galaxies in our little corner of the universe. There's got to be other life out there. It's pretty humbling to realize that earth isn't very special at all. There are probably millions of planets like earth.

I added Spot, our new Dalmatian, to the rescue website this afternoon. Every time I do any type of website maintenance it's kind of alarming how much I have forgotten over the years. Even simple things take me longer now, because I make stupid mistakes. Jeez. I used to be really good at this. Any skill is a use it or lose it proposition. It's easy to stay on top of your game when you are doing something every day. Doing the same thing once a month is a lot different.

I've got no big plans for tomorrow. No little plans either. Sometimes I wish I could just sleep until summer was over. I may need to look for another movie to watch. I'll try to take my walk early, but it's definitely not a great time to be outside.

Winston is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4582

No luck getting the car into the shop today. I guess those days are gone forever. I do have an appointment for tomorow though. I've abandoned the dealership for an independent Land Rover garage. The dealership couldn't get me in until the middle of August. I still hope this engine problem can be resolved quickly. I'm tired of walking in this heat and am more than ready to return to the gym.

I took my long walk right after breakfast again and it seemed even hotter than yesterday. I was able to complete my entire route today although I was very slow. I'd hate to even think about doing this all summer. I know that we had a terribly hot summer back when we had our first Dalmatian. Spot was getting old and he couldn't handle the heat well at all. I couldn't either, but those days are just a distant memory. Today is very real. I hope our air conditioner keeps working and we don't have any power outages. There was a very brief brownout this morning but it only lasted a few seconds. 

Luckily, Janet's car is still working fine. We went and visited the rescue Dalmatians this afternoon and they were glad to see us. We haven't been up at the kennel for several weeks, so it was good to catch up with everyone. Today, we met Spot, our newest rescue. He is a very friendly young male and hopefully he'll find his forever home soon. I took some pictures of Spot for the website and when we were finished playing with Charlie, JoJo, Willie, and Rocket, we took Spot to the vet for some additional tests and new bloodwork. I was hoping that JoJo wouldn't want to play in the outdoor yard today, but true to form he headed outside as soon as we saw him. It took treats to get him back inside again to the much cooler indoor play area. Rocket has really come a long way. He is no longer fearful and has become an expert at catching treats in the air. All the dogs were more subdued today because of the heat. Just like our own home, the kennel air conditioners were having trouble keeping the place cool.

We're getting these messages from Ercot now advising us to set our thermostat higher to save energy and avoid power blackouts. Usually the recommended temperature is 78 degrees. I hear people saying that there is no way they're keeping their homes that warm. Some still insist on keeping the temperature at 72 degrees. I keep wondering how they can even get their homes that cold. We're meeting the Ercot guidelines, but it's not for lack of trying to get the place colder. We can get the temperature down to 76 degrees at night when things cool down, but during the hottest part of the day our AC struggles to keep the place below 80 degrees. Cool air is still coming through the vents, but it doesn't stay cool long. We have way too many single pane floor-to-ceiling windows. You can feel the heat radiating in just standing next to these windows.

Dawn is a lot smarter than JoJo about the heat. She's OK with her sunrise walk, but wants to stay inside for the rest of the day. When we take her outside to pee, she does her business very quickly and races right back to the door to get inside again. I can't say that I blame her. It takes me almost an hour to cool down after I take my long walk. I'm drinking a lot of water lately. I'm sure that's a good thing. You've got to stay hydrated.

I'm not sure how I'm going to get my steps tomorrow. I have to get the car down to the shop by 8 AM. Since nobody has loaner cars anymore, I'll need to take an Uber back home. Lord knows how long this will take. Everything seems to take longer than expected. I hope this garage will actually work on the car tomorrow. The dealership was notorious for stacking cars up so they could maintain a steady workflow. Sometimes I would take my car in and it would be several days before they would get to it. It is what is is though. There's not a lot I can do about the situation. Car have become way too complicated for me to work on them myself anymore.

Here's hoping that tomorrow goes well. I enjoyed visiting the Dalmatians today and the house is finally getting cooler again now that the sun has set. We're doing the best we can, but this is going to be a very long summer.

Sophia is toay's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4581

This has got to be one of the hottest summers on record. I remember one summer like this, but I was a lot younger then. If this continues, I may just start saying that this summer is the worst ever and chalk the past up to memory loss. If I were smart, I would have just stayed inside today, but I'm hooked on getting my steps. Getting at least 10,000 steps every day and writing a blog post every evening are about the only goals I have left.

I got an early start on my long walk this morning, but it didn't help much. It was already too hot when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk. In this weather I soak my hat in cold water before I leave the house and it is already dry before I reach the halfway point. The wildflowers are almost all gone now and the grass in the meadows is turning yellow. I still see a few ducks, but most of the other animals are in hiding. I don't see as many joggers anymore, but there are still plenty of cyclists. Maybe it feels cooler when you are moving faster. Surprisingly, I was able to complete my entire route today. My pace was really slow, but that had more to do with foot pain than with the heat. 

Dawn did get her Sunday outing, but we were careful to make sure she didn't get overheated. We only spent a few minutes in our Sunday park and then went straight to the ice cream store. It wasn't surprising that the place was pretty busy today. Ice cream and hot weather were made for each other. Sometimes we bring home a pint of our favorite flavor. They said they were out of that today, so we picked something else. We had some of the ice cream for dessert tonight and were surprised to find the flavor that the store said they were out of. It was a small surprise, but a nice one.

I hope I can get my car worked on tomorrow. I don't drive much, but it is still a real inconvenience being without a car. I can't get to the gym for starters. If the car ends up being in the shop for a while, I'm going to have to continue these very hot walks in the park. I stay hydrated and don't think there is any danger in walking in the heat but it isn't very pleasant. It definitely helps to get an early start. I don't think it would be wise to walk in the afternoon. I'm still hoping that the problem with my car is minor. The check engine light came on in my old Defender whenever the gas cap went bad. The same thing happened back when Janet had a LR-2. There is even a sign inside of my gas filler door that says to turn gas cap until you hear a clicking sound or the engine light will come on. Replacing the gas cap is easy. Replacing a major engine component is something else entirely.

Janet tells me that there is a new Dalmatian up at the kennel now. We'll get to meet this new boy tomorrow. I think we are supposed to take him to the vet as well. I need to remember to take my camera. The new guy will need to go on the website soon. It been a while since we've visited the rescue Dalmatians. Last week was the July 4th holiday and the week before that Janet was on vacation. I always enjoy visiting the dogs. Playing with a dog is so much more enjoyable than dealing with people.

The in-door water supply in our refrigerator doesn't work anymore. When did that happen? It might have happened months ago, since I usually just drink bottled water. You can still get ice through the door, but no water. Oh, well. One more thing to fix. So many problems around our house involve water. The washing machine has been repaired several times. We just got a new dishwasher. I need to get a new toilet as well. These are all basically water problems. Our worst water problem was having a water line break under the concrete slab of our house. What a mess. Hopefully that will never happen again. 

Keller is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4580

Not a great day. The app that lets me bypass the checkout line at the grocery store didn't work this morning and there were no berries. All they had were grapes. These were minor annoyances though. When I got back in the car, the check engine light came on. This is not a light you want to see, so I curtailed the rest of my shopping and went back home. The last thing I wanted today was for my car to die in a grocery store parking lot when I knew the dealership closed at noon. 

When I called to make a service appointment, they said that the earliest they could get me a loaner car was the middle of August. What? I tried calling the other place that services Land Rover, but they weren't open on the weekend. I don't drive much so this isn't a serious inconvenience. I'm more worried about the cost. Engine problems can be expensive. Hopefully this is something minor. The car didn't overheat on the way home and the engine sounds normal. I will need to take the car in for service though. It's not a good idea to ignore the check engine light.

Since I couldn't make it to the gym today, I took my walk in the park on what was probably the hottest day of the year so far. The temperature got up to 109 degrees today. Not surprisingly, I wasn't able to complete my full route because it was so hot, but I was able to get at least 10,000 steps. It probably wasn't a good idea to walk outdoors on such a hot day, but I hated the idea of starting over on steps. The bad news is that I'll have to do the same thing again tomorrow. I'll try to get an earlier start though.

Our air conditioner is having a hard time keeping up with this heat. I set the thermostat at 76 degrees and then watched the temperature slowly climb to 80. We just have too much single pane glass in the house. These large windows aren't insulated like double pane glass and on a hot day you can feel the heat just standing next to them. After the sun set, the inside temperature started falling again, but the air conditioner has been running all day. I don't even want to think about what our electric bill is going to be next month.

I certainly didn't accomplish much this afternoon. I did a load of laundry and watered a few plants. This heat takes away my desire to do anything. I wanted to check the oil level in my car to make sure it wasn't low and discovered that there wasn't a traditional dipstick in the engine compartment. There's a setting on the dash where you can check the oil level there. Why am I just now discovering this? Probably because this car has never leaked oil and I get it changed routinely at service checks. I was always checking the oil on my Defender. It did leak.

I don't think we will be walking on Dawn's Sunday outing tomorrow. Dawn will get her sunrise walk, but it's just too hot during the middle of the day. We will get ice cream though. Dawn doesn't like the heat but she does love her trips to the ice cream store.

Greta is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4579

Another hot day. It's really hard for me to get motivated in this weather. I kind of envy Dawn's ability to sleep for most of the day. There's a whole list of things I need to do, but I keep postponing things. I need to schedule my car for a recall service. I hate dealing with the dealership now, so I keep putting this off. 

I need to retrieve a few things I put on consignment at a guitar store several years ago. I haven't talked to the place since before Covid started and I know my stuff hasn't sold yet. The electronic gear will just go to my storage warehouse, but if I don't do anything, the store might go out of business and the stuff could just disappear. 

I really need to start calling people about repairs to the house, but living in a house while renovations are going on is one of the worst things I can think of. There are doctors appointment I need to make and I need a haircut again. I could go on, but you get the picture. It's easier to just do nothing.

I went back to the gym again after breakfast. If it gets any hotter, it's going to be too warm for our sunrise walk with Dawn. It's definitely too warm for doing yard work during the day. Going to the gym reminds me of the Groundhog Day movie. Everything is always the same. The same people are always there and are doing the same exercise routines. The place is nice and cool though. It must cost a fortune to keep the giant room as cold as they do. When I watch the same people do the same exercises on the same machines day after day, I realize that most people's lives are more or less like mine. Everyday life is not always exciting. Most things we do are repetitious and often boring.

I think spending nine days alone with Dawn has changed things a bit. We seem to get along better now. Dawn comes when I call now and seems to be content to share the bed with me. I took a long nap this afternoon and she was right there with me. Dawn is still more excited when Janet is in the house, but I am no longer someone to fear. I hope this continues. Life will be a lot easier if Dawn starts treating Janet and I the same way.

My sister reads a lot and I asked her for a few recommendations. Now she wants to send me boxes of books she's already read. I need to send her pictures of my office. Our house is already filled with bookshelves and there isn't room for anything more. There are books in the storage warehouse too. Sadly, I really don't read that much anymore. Three or four books would probably keep me busy for the rest of the year.

Food and gasoline aren't the only things that are getting more expensive. I paid some utility bills today and every one of them was higher than expected. I can't think of a single thing that is actually getting cheaper these days. If I was still working, I could raise my own rates, but that's not going to happen. I learned quite a few years ago that the kids working in ad agencies these days don't want to hire their grandfather. Too bad the stock market is also taking a hit. It's kind of like a perfect storm of bad news.

A lot of people on my Facebook feed are getting Covid. Why now? I thought the pandemic was supposed to be winding down. It makes me wonder if I'll eventually get Covid myself. I've probably escaped so far because I'm not around other people very much. Avoiding people still seems like a good plan to me, but my luck could run out at any point. It's probably not good to dwell on thoughts like this. It's a crazy world. My luck could run out driving to the gym or even walking in the park.

Trevor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day