Day 4246

We met Bullet today. This four year old male is the newest member of the rescue program and probably won't be with us long. He's healthy, good looking, and very friendly. Bullet loves to play and we had a lot of fun getting to know him. I have a feeling that he's going to find his forever home soon. I took some pictures of Bullet for the rescue website and then we made sure to pay equal attention to Charlie and Cooper. All three dogs were happy to see us today. Each dog has his own distinct personality and they'd all make a great pet for the right person. I wonder if we'll see Bullet next week? I think there's a family looking at him already.

We had to get a new longer cone for Dawn before we left for the kennel because she's learned how to reach her back paws wearing the shorter one. The new cone seemed to work, because there were no signs of damage when we returned. Dawn doesn't seem to mind the cone and mostly just sleeps while wearing it. She took her last antibiotic pill today, so hopefully she is clear of the bacterial infection now. The vet will want to culture another sample to make sure and then we'll move on to solving the paw licking problem. 

I still feel like I'm not getting enough sleep. When we took our sunrise walk this morning all I could think of was going back to bed. I stayed up though because by the time we returned to the house, I was wide awake. Monday is never a terribly busy day, but it usually seems that way. After I made the bed and fixed my breakfast, I charged my camera batteries and got ready to go to the kennel. I'd been using my new Olympus camera to take dog pictures recently, but reverted to the Panasonic GH-4 because it seems to work better under the low light conditions in the kennel playroom. I'm wondering why I got the new camera now. It isn't that great for astrophotography and I think I like my old cameras better for dog pictures. 

There wasn't enough time to take a long walk this morning, so I went to the gym late in the day after we returned from the kennel. I guess I'll keep going to the gym, but the relentless news about how bad the Delta variant is becoming in Texas is making me feel like laying low again. I'd really hate to get Covid now after keeping myself safe for over a year and a half. My gym is never crowded and it's probably even safer than going to the grocery store, but you never know. Obviously somebody is getting this disease because hospitals are filling up again and they say Dallas is running out of ICU beds.

I'm really sick of the pandemic. It's very difficult to make plans because things keep changing. I feel foolish even trying to contact people at NASA or Patrick Air Force Base about upcoming launches because I know I'm not going to Florida anyway. By the time Covid has run its course and disappeared, I'll probably have to start over from scratch on my quest to become a space journalist. 

Janet would like to travel too, but I doubt that either of us will be going anywhere soon. It's probably just as well. We've got our hands full with Dawn anyway. Tomorrow will be a repeat of today except that I won't be going anywhere. On Wednesday I get my root canal done. Such an exciting week.

Nautica is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4245

Sundays are usually just a lot of walking. Today was no exception. The gym isn't open on Sunday and I'm finally learning to take my long walk early in the morning to beat the heat. We took our sunrise walk with Dawn, came home to eat breakfast, and then I immediately left again on my long walk thru the park. Today was actually fairly pleasant since there was a strong breeze. The wind kept me cool, even though the sun was out most of the time. I'm really learning to appreciate a cloudy day. Most of my yard work takes place on cloudy days now. I was able to complete my full six miles today. It wasn't a big accomplishment, but I'm willing to settle for small accomplishments lately.

When I returned to the house, I took a few minutes to cool down and then we took Dawn on her Sunday outing. We didn't overdo it this time and only walked Dawn a short distance. Today was mostly about the ice cream. The ice cream place surprised us by offering Dawn a free pup cone. This was new. Usually we order two small vanilla cones, eat part of them ourselves, and then give the rest to Dawn. Dawn seemed to like the idea of having a whole cone to herself. Of course, she still got some of ours as well. We try to be careful that she doesn't overdo it. I'd hate to discover that she was allergic to ice cream and that was what was causing the paw licking. 

I'm having trouble remembering to take the antibiotics the dentist gave me. I take them on a different schedule than my regular morning and evening meds and anything new is a problem. I'm such a creature of habit that I do virtually everything the same way day after day. You'd think adding one new pill wouldn't be a problem, but new isn't in my vocabulary anymore. You might think my interest in rockets and astronomy is new, but I've actually been interested in these things since childhood. I just got distracted from childhood interests during my working years.

Dawn has figured out how to reach her rear paws even with her cone on. It's really been an uphill battle to control the licking. We think we're making progress and then there'll be a setback where we'll catch her chewing on her paws again. It's always three steps forward, two steps back. Usually, it's our fault for leaving her unsupervised, but you can't watch a dog 100% of the time. Dawn is nervous around me anyway. If I was following her around all day long and reprimanding her for trying to attack her paws, she'd be even more nervous. I don't think I'm the problem with the paws though. Janet said she started the licking while I was away during my last trip to the observatory.

You'd think with unruly passengers on airplanes, nonexistent rental cars, and a surge in Covid infections, that I'd already have enough reasons not to visit Florida. Now there's something new. I saw a notice that Titusville residents have to boil their water because E. coli bacteria has gotten into the city water supply. It makes you wonder what's next. Maybe it's a good thing that two dentists have dibs on all my money this month. I can't be tempted by rocket launches for a while.

I need to remember to take my camera when we visit the Dalmatians tomorrow. I've heard that there's a new dog at the kennel. I don't know much about this four year old owner surrender, but I'm fairly certain he'll like squeaky toys and tasty treats.

Lilly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4244

It was a busy Saturday. We took our sunrise walk, but Dawn still isn't wanting to walk very far. Where did that little burst of energy come from a few weeks ago? We're trying to use up some things that partially thawed when the freezer malfunctioned last week, so we had a package of toaster waffles for breakfast. They were actually pretty good. When I ran my Saturday errands, I got some long foam tubes at Home Depot to make more professional looking inserts for my camera case. I also filled the car with gas, picked up some salicylic acid at the pharmacy, and did my grocery shopping. Everybody was wearing masks at Sam's Club, but almost nobody was wearing masks at Central Market. Go figure. It's Hatch Chili season again in Texas. I don't understand the fascination with Hatch Chilis, but for one month a year, you can get Hatch Chile pound cake and cookies, Hatch Chile Sourdough Bread, Hatch Chile potato salad, Hatch Chile burgers and rotisserie chickens, along with all sorts of Hatch Chile concoctions at the deli counter.

Since I got started early, I was still able to make it to the gym before they closed at 1 PM. You have to wear a mask when you check in now, but you can take it off as soon as you get down to the gym floor and start exercising. I don't know what this proves, but we are all pretty good about following the rules. Some people continue wearing their mask during their workout, but most don't. I don't spend as much time at the gym on Saturdays, but I did get my steps and fill all the rings on my Apple Watch. I'm continuing to work on upper body strength, but I don't know how much progress I'm making.

I've started taking the antibiotics the dentist prescribed for my root canal. Dawn and I are both taking antibiotics now. Her paws are starting to look a little better, but I don't know if this has anything to do with the meds she's taking. I think it's mostly because she's wearing a cone a lot now. We always put the cone on when we're both going to be out of the house. You don't have to leave Dawn unsupervised very long before she starts biting at her paws again. 

When I went to the gym today, there was a line of cars wrapped all the way around the block at the Covid testing site. New pandemic fears certainly aren't stopping people from shopping though. Grocery stores were full today and the Northpark Mall looked like it was Christmas. There wasn't a parking place anywhere. I picked up Chinese take out for dinner and PF Chang's was absolutely packed. There wasn't an empty table in the place and everybody was seated close together. This is all very confusing to me. When you turn on the television, the sky is falling. When you're out in the community, everything seems normal. 

I basically don't trust anyone now. I don't trust what the government is telling me. I think the strangers I see are probably all infected with horrible diseases. You certainly can't trust the media anymore. Every time you change the channel, you get a completely different story. I wonder if anyone's done a study to see if extroverts get infected with Covid more frequently than introverts? I bet they do. They always seem to trace a big spike back to a party or a wedding.

It's a weird world we live in. They still haven't found the missing cobra in Grand Prairie. This snake will never make it all the way to Dallas unless it is already in someone's car. I guess we're safe on our Sunday outing tomorrow. I don't know why I'm worried about cobras. The park is full of poisonous snakes anyway. 

Lou is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4243

This is a bad time to be a hypochondriac. You can't turn on the television without being bombarded with seemingly apocalyptic health news. Are more people getting infected now than during the height of the pandemic? Are hospitals full again? It's hard to tell what's really going on. Every time I venture out in the world, everything seems normal. I only know one person who has gotten sick during the last year and he recovered quickly. I know a lot more people who have gotten cancer than have gotten Covid. Why all the fear mongering? It is unnecessary. Every time I have a runny nose or wake up with a scratchy throat, I have to go to Google and see if that might be a symptom associated with one of the new variants. At my age there are probably a lot more immediate health issues to be concerned about. Jeez. I got the vaccine. If you didn't, that's your business.

I'm so glad I am no longer a landlord. I used to own rental property and I know I would have gotten stuck with a tenant who used Covid as an excuse to stop paying rent. I don't really understand extending the eviction moratorium. The economy is doing great. I've never seen so many help wanted signs in stores. You could easily get a job if you wanted one these days. You could probably get a better job than you had before. I think I have more sympathy for the landlords than the tenants. There are definitely easier jobs than owning a few rent houses. I had endless problems with tenants. I'm glad that chapter is behind me.

There is a cobra loose in the neighboring town of Grand Prairie. Who keeps a six foot West African Banded Cobra as a pet? I know I would be really mad if a neighbor let their pet cobra escape. It would be hell to worry yourself sick about Covid and then end up getting bit by a cobra instead. I should just stop watching the news. There is too much weirdness going on. They say the Gulf Stream is slowing down and could drastically change the climate on the East Coast. The West Coast seems to be perpetually on fire. Are these the end times? I have friends who think so.

I don't know why I thought today would be a good day to take a long walk. It was even hotter than yesterday. I guess I just didn't feel like driving today. I completed my full six mile route, but I was really starting to wonder what I was doing outside. I'm glad I discovered the misting station in the park. I sprayed myself with water on both the inbound and outbound segments of my journey, but it didn't take long for the water to evaporate. I read an article recently that said walking consistently was one of the best forms of exercise and included a long list of health benefits. I hope this is true. Walking is still enjoyable for me because it is the best place to daydream.

I need to start taking the antibiotics prescribed for my root canal tomorrow. I take the pills for four days prior to my procedure and then for four days afterwards as well. I'm not looking forward to this. I've never had a root canal before. I've had relatively few fillings over the years as well. All good things come to an end I guess. I'm certainly spending more time at doctors and dentists these days than I did in my 30's and 40's.

Dawn had a good day. There weren't as many problems with licking her paws today and she seemed to enjoy her morning walk. I hope Dawn is happy, but I'll never know for sure. Dawn is an enigmatic dog. Dealing with Dawn's problems is as far as I want to go with problems. I'm definitely not going to solve the world's problems. I doubt that you are either.

Margo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4242

I'm really trying to get things done. Today I tackled a task I've been avoiding for months. I got a stepladder and scraped all the loose paint and plaster from the ceiling in the area where the worse leak has been occuring. The ceiling still looks terrible, but now the area is clean and I can apply spackling or even tape and bed if I am so inclined. The sheetrock was completely dry, so that's encouraging. Maybe I'll just paint over the rust colored stains with Kilz white primer as a temporary fix. I always hesitate to spend a lot of time on the ceililng, because the roof is just going to leak again if we get a heavy enough rain. I still need to search further for the source of the leak on top of the roof, but it's been too hot lately.

It took longer to clean up all the dust, paint chips and plaster chunks on the floor than it did to scrape the ceiling, but at least the job is done. With this task out of the way, I tackled another messy job. I finally removed the crumbling, disintegrating foam from the Zero Halliburton camera case and replaced it with the new foam inserts I bought recently. The old foam had basically turned to a sticky powder and was a mess to remove. At some point within the past five years, I realized that this was going to happen and carefully wrapped the camera and six lenses in heavy duty blue Scott shop towels. This protected the equipment, but I had to be really careful removing each item from the case so it wouldn't come in contact with the sticky foam residue. I did all this outside, because I didn't want to spend the rest of the day cleaning up a sticky mess in my office. Actually the case is not finished yet. The foam in the lid and at the base of the case are in place, but I couldn't bring myself to cut a bunch of holes in the central piece that holds the cameras yet. I still need to figure out how to do this precisely so I won't make a mess of things. To temporarily protect the camera and lenses, I cut apart a small pool noodle and wrapped it around the equipment. This actually worked very well. I may go to Home Depot tomorrow and look for a long foam tube that matches the color of the other foam. The foam tubes used to protect outdoor pipes from freezing might be perfect.

Dawn has lost her nerve again. I have to take her outdoors on a leash again when she needs to pee and she has reverted to her short one mile loop on our sunrise walks. She won't follow me out to the kitchen anymore when I am fixing her dinner either. I don't know what gave her so much confidence a few weeks ago or why she has lost it now. Dawn is a very complicated dog. You could write a book about all her weird personality traits. I wish I could make a list of every strange thing she does, take it to the vet, and get an immediate and definitive answer that would explain what is going on. I keep thinking she has some weird, undiagnosed disease. Janet just thinks the hard life she's led has made her extremely nervous and unstable. 

Finding normal with Dawn is such a long, slow process. I was able to take a nap with Dawn this morning for almost an hour without her biting or licking her paws at all. She was very relaxed and even curled up next to me. As soon as I left the room, she started going after her front paws unfortunately and I had to put the cone on her. Strangely, she doesn't seem to mind the cone at all. It seems to calm her and she usually goes to sleep within several minutes after I put it on. Go figure.

It was too hot to walk this afternoon so I went back to the gym. It's disappointing to see everything slowly revert to lockdown mode. We were doing so well there for a while. A lot more people are wearing masks now. The Covid testing center I pass on the way to the gym has a long line of car now. It was virtually empty earlier this summer. I'm glad the gym is still open, but it will be the first to close again if things get worse. Florida is a mess. Let's not even talk about Florida. Oh, well. At least the money I was going to spend attending a launch this summer will pay for my root canal.

Morgan is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4241

I checked a few small chores off my list today. I took the two ice chests back to the storage warehouse because the refrigerator is fixed and we don't need them anymore. The storage warehouse is really full. My plan to clear it out clearly isn't working. I keep adding more and more stuff. The ice chests were actually in Janet's storage warehouse before the refrigerator problems, but it is more convenient to get them when needed if they are in mine.

An LED bulb burned out in the bathroom, so I needed to find a replacement that would match the bulbs in the other ceiling can lights. All these new LED bulbs claim that they'll last twelve years, but mine burn out frequently. They're still a lot better than the older incandescent bulbs though. I eventually found a bulb that matched the other bathroom bulbs. Hopefully this one will last a few years.

Dawn has reverted to taking very short walks again. The weather was quite nice when we left on our sunrise walk and I thought she'd want to go further. Nope. She back to her short one mile loop. She's also more obsessed with licking her paws than ever. We have to leave the cone on whenever we aren't watching her now. I hate to do this, but it's the only thing that's working. If we forget and leave her unattended, she can do a lot of damage in just a few minutes. The redness is getting better, but it's an uphill battle. Every time we forget the cone, we're back to square one. We still don't know what is causing the licking, but I bet it has something to do with the antibiotic resistant infection she has. I didn't even know that dogs could get a MRSA infection, but they can. Hopefully the new antibiotics will work.

It was probably cool enough to take an outdoor walk today, but it felt very humid. My feet hurt too, and I didn't feel up to walking six miles. I went back to the gym instead and made sure I had a mask in my pocket this time. Even though the gym has reverted to the same Covid restrictions that were in place when they first reopened, it didn't feel like much had changed. The masks are largely symbolic, because you don't have to wear them on the floor when you are actively exercising. I don't think there's much to worry about at this place. I'm almost certain that everyone at my gym has been fully vaccinated for quite a while. It's an older crowd. There are quite a few people even older than me on the floor.

I still haven't changed out the foam inserts in my camera case. I dread doing this because I have to cut openings in the foam for lenses and the camera. It's not easy to cut this type of foam. I want the cut outs to be straight and professional looking, but I don't think I have the proper tools. I'll probably just end up using a steak knife. I tried to order pick and pluck foam, but it wasn't available for my sized case. I may postpone this job for quite a while, since I don't actually use the cameras. 

Now that Covid restrictions are coming back, I wonder if my trip to the observatory in September is off too. I wouldn't be surprised. The observatory has been closed to the public for a long time because of the risk of the staff becoming infected. The place is a long way from a medical center, so the risk is real. It's such a shame that we are headed in the wrong directions again. There's plenty of blame to go around, but someone needs to shut the southern border immediately. It is insane to be imposing travel bans on European countries while we continue to let tons of unvaccinated, sick migrants flood the southern border. 

Hopefully my two Pfizer shots will continue to provide the protection I need. I'm really getting tired of this. As soon as the Delta variant fades away it will probably be replaced by something even worse. All this is so unnecessary. The virus spread through international travel. The dreaded Delta variant certainly didn't originate locally. Couldn't everyone just stay in their own country for a while. Maybe stay in your own state as well. None of this would have happened if there wasn't this compulsion to travel internationally. Don't get me started on another anti-globalist rant, but the world would be a better place if we all stayed home, raised our own food, made our own stuff, and minded our own business. 

Pebbles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4240

Dot got a bath today. That was about the extent of today's excitement. We were going to take her to the vet for a bath, but decided that she would end up in a cage licking her paws for a while while the groomers were working through their schedule. We took her to a self-bathe place instead and Janet got some special shampoo that is supposed to relieve itching. I'll be glad when Dawn finishes her antibiotics so we can concentrate on finding a solution to the licking problem. We've added a probiotic to her diet, but it isn't wise to do any allergy testing until she has completed the antibiotics and her bacterial infection is gone.

My gym has reinstated a mask mandate. It's only a matter of time before other places do the same. Whenever I'm out and about I've noticed that almost nobody is wearing masks anymore. I don't think a new mandate is going to go over well. Everyone is sick of the pandemic and nobody knows who to believe. You should never politicize a disease, but that's where we are. I'm convinced that the story is a lot more complicated than what we are hearing in the media. The young Hispanic plumber who came over to the house the other day thought he was safe from Covid because he didn't go to bars. He wasn't planning to get vaccinated. Our vet has returned to normal office visits, but several other vets I know still require you to stay in your car while they come out and take your pet inside. Some people are excited about going back to rock concerts and sporting events, while other are still driving around alone in their car with a mask on. There is no consensus about anything.

I think I am a rational person, but Covid has affected me as well. I don't want to go near a hospital now. That's where the disease is. I don't even like to sit in a doctor's waiting room. One of the main reasons I switched doctors a while ago was my old doctor's waiting room was always full. I keep postponing my colonoscopy because the procedure is done in a hospital under sedation. You wouldn't catch me getting on a bus or a subway anymore, but I'm comfortable going to the gym without a mask. Go figure. Covid is going to be around for a long time because we live in a world full of people that all have their own fears and phobias. The more politicians talk the more suspicious we all become.

It was a little cooler today so I decided to take my six mile walk instead of going to the gym. Maybe I was just mad at my gym's new mask mandate. Things were going so well there for a while. Walking outside in the summer is hot and sweaty, but nobody can mess with you in the woods. As long as you watch out for snakes and poison ivy, you're OK. I'm sure I'll end up back at the gym soon enough. Texas summers are brutal and I can't stand the heat anymore. I've certainly got plenty of masks. Both our cars are full of them.

The Boeing Starliner launch got postponed again. I applied for credentials for this one and got rejected. It's just as well. This launch has gotten postponed so many times that I would have had to return home without seeing anything. Florida is a Covid hotspot again too, so there's that as well. Maybe someday I'll return to Kennedy Space Center with a bag full of cameras and a story to write. It's not looking good now though.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Dasy 4239

I've got ice again. A plumber came out this morning and after a lot of experimenting, determined that there was nothing wrong with the shut off valve the other plumber installed last week. Apparently, a small piece of rubber from the old broken valve had gotten into the small copper pipe going to the refrigerator and caused a jam that stopped water from flowing. This scenario seemed very unlikely, but it had to be true. There was no other explanation. After replacing the long copper pipe with a flexible braided wire hose, everything worked fine. A few hours later the first ice cubes started to form in the icemaker. I'm back in business.

The plumber said that since there was nothing wrong with the shut off valve they installed, that I would have to pay for this new work. I didn't feel like arguing. Technically, it was their fault for not testing the system after they were finished, but I was the one that told them to just leave the valve in the off position, because the appliance repairman hadn't finished fixing the ice maker yet. The young plumber was very polite and did a good job. I could have bought big bags of party ice for the rest of my life for the cost of these repairs though. Oh, well. The whole repair saga is still less expensive than my upcoming root canal.

We got more rain today, including a few heavy downpours. The leak hasn't reappeared in the kitchen, but I noticed a very small new leak developing in the hallway leading to the office. I think I'm going to have to settle for a new roof that still has standing water. It is just too expensive and complicated to re-slope the existing roof so there are no low spots that cause ponds to form after it rains. I just need to get a warranty from a reputable roofing company that lasts longer than I expect to live and just forget about all the standing water on the roof.

Dawn has no fear of thunder and lightning, but she hates to get her paws wet. We couldn't get her to take an early walk, so we had to wait until we returned from visiting the rescue Dalmatians. We finally got her to pee in the yard before we left for the kennel, but it was an uphill battle. Dawn does not like to walk on wet grass.

Cooper and Charlie were glad to see us. They know we we bring them tasty treats and the occasional new toy. Cooper loves rope tug toys and when he finds one, he will always bring it to you to play tug with him.  Charlie is still obsessed with soft plush toys. One of the kennel attendants told us that he carries them around the way he does because he is waiting for an opportunity to take the toy back to his kennel and tear it up in private. We got to witness this today when Charlie found a stuffed duck that had a squeaker that made a quacking sound. We need to remember to just have indestructible Kongs and rope toys in the play area when we are up at the kennel. Both dogs are kind of weird with plush toys.

We took Dawn on a short walk when we returned from the kennel. Our timing wasn't good, because we got caught in a downpour and we all got wet. Dawn was disgusted and sat on the bed for the rest of the day after we got her dried off. I waited until the storm had passed and then took my long walk. It was considerably cooler after all the rain, so the walk was actually quite enjoyable.  It is rare to have temperatures in the seventies in August. 

I think we're done with rain for a while. The hot weather will probably return tomorrow. I'm going to need to go up on the roof and look for leaks again as soon as things dry out. It's a never ending battle. I wish I could find a contractor like those guys on that PBS 'This Old House' series. Real life contractors aren't like that at all. I guess I'll watch the Boeing Starliner launch on a streaming channel tomorrow. I'd love to be there in person, but it wasn't meant to be.

Scout is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4238

I think August is off to a good start. I really got a lot done today. We left the house late on our sunrise walk and we should have noticed that Dawn didn't want to go very far. The sun was already up and you could tell it was going to be a hot day. Later, when we took her on her Sunday outing, she was tired and we needed to rest from time to time under shade trees. I was a little worried that she would get overheated, but we made it back to the car just fine. If it's this hot next Sunday, we'll skip the walk and just have ice cream instead. You always have to worry about heat stroke with dogs. We know the signs to look for and weren't in any danger today, but it is always a worry on a hot day. 

This morning's hot weather should have been a warning to me, but I was determined to get the grass mowed today. I knew there was rain in the forecast for later in the day, so I got the mower out right after breakfast. I mowed the front and back yards and removed all the spider webs from the Asian Jasmine ground cover as well. I guess I thought that Dawn would be fine on her Sunday outing because I wasn't any worse for wear after all this activity. The yard looks much better now and the late afternoon rain will help keep everything green. Usually I dread the rain, but we really needed it. Everything in the yard was starting to look really dry.

I cleaned up the atrium area today. It's almost impossible to get into the atrium these days because the sliding glass door is broken. I think one of the metal rollers has snapped and the broken piece causes the door to jam in the track when you attempt to move it. Usually I can only open the door about a foot and squeeze through the narrow opening. Today the door opened almost five feet which really surprised me. Maybe the summer heat had changed something. Unfortunately, this was just a fluke. The second time I tried to open the door, it jammed after moving only four inches. I never close the door when I am in the atrium because I'm afraid I won't be able to get back in the house. I wish I could find someone to fix this thing. The oversize door is huge and nobody seems to know how to fix it. The only guy who worked on these doors died a few years ago and was probably the last of his kind. Sign of the times I guess. I'm having trouble even finding a decent plumber.

When the rain finally arrived it was quite heavy. We really needed the rain, but whenever I hear rain pounding on the roof I start to worry about roof leaks. No leaks so far, which is a little surprising. The pumps are working well today and maybe that helped. The roof still might leak later tonight. Sometimes it takes a while for water to work it's way inside. I still can't figure out where the current leak is coming from. Since the leak only seem to happen when there is an unusually heavy downpour, my current theory is that the water is getting in through a ventilation duct on another part of the roof and then traveling sideways on a beam or electrical conduit to the crack in the sheetrock where it gets into the house. Let's hope the rain wasn't strong enough this afternoon to cause this to happen. So far, so good. I'll put a bucket out tonight though. I don't have much faith in this roof.

I did a lot of other little chores around the house that aren't even worth explaining. Unless you lived here you wouldn't understand the need to use a wet/dry vac to remove water that collects underneath the tiles in the shower stall. The buckets that collect water in the dehumidifiers need to be cleaned and disinfected periodically as well, because a biofilm tends to develop on the walls of the buckets. 

Hopefully, I can get the plumber to come out tomorrow and fix the line to the refrigerator so the ice maker will work again. It's weird. Almost all of my current problems have something to do with water. Water is not my friend.

Snoopy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4237

The appliance repairman came back today and installed the new part. The ice maker and in-door water dispenser still aren't working though because no water is flowing to the refrigerator. I'm going to have to call the plumbers again. Actually, I did call the plumber, but they aren't working on Saturday. When the plumbers were out at the house we checked to make sure that the new shut off valve they installed stopped the leak in the freezer. I guess we didn't check to see if the valve actually worked. It seems fine in the off position, but nothing happens in the on position. This is frustrating to say the least. I hope the plumbers don't charge me again when I can get them to come out and investigate things. Janet suggested just leaving the ice maker broken since the freezer is working fine. I like the ice in my morning smoothie though, so the ice maker will have to be fixed. I can't keep buying bags of party ice forever.

I went to the gym really early this morning so I could be home in time to meet the appliance repairman. I did an abbreviated workout, finished my grocery shopping and made it home again thirty minutes before the repairman arrived. I was really disappointed when the repairman informed me that this whole refrigerator saga isn't over yet. Until I can get the water flowing to the refrigerator, I have no idea whether anything the repairman did today actually worked. I doubt if he knows either. The weird thing is that there is no logical reason why water isn't flowing. The shut off valve is very simple. It's either on or it's off. Water was definitely flowing with the old broken valve so there's nothing wrong with the copper pipe. Hopefully I can get a plumber out Monday because this thing is driving me crazy.

Dawn did extremely well on her sunrise walk this morning. She seemed back to her old self and walked almost two miles. We still have no idea what caused Dawn to stop walking and what is making her feel confident again. I'd like to think that the reluctance to walking had something to do with her paws, but she wasn't licking or paying any attention to them then. Now that she wants to walk longer again, she's tearing her paws up. I had to put the cone on her while I was eating breakfast, because she immediately wanted to start licking when we returned to the house. I don't understand anything anymore. Dawn shouldn't be licking her paws and water should be flowing through that copper pipe.

I might have missed my opportunity to see a Starship launch. Activity is really picking up in Boca Chica and they say that the hotels in the area are filled with Space X employees now. Space X is also building a tall fence that blocks a lot of the views you used to get from Highway 4. It still would be nice to go down there for the first orbital launch later this year. I'm beginning to think that space journalism was just something I imagined. I'm losing a lot of my connections at Kennedy Space Center and it seems harder and harder to get press credentials. Maybe it's all for the best. I don't feel really comfortable traveling now that Covid panic is on the rise again. I've had so many expenses lately that I probably couldn't afford a trip right now anyway. It was fun to be part of the space community for a while. Hopefully, I'll be able to rejoin them when life returns to normal.

It's not getting any cooler, so we'll probably have to take Dawn on her Sunday outing a little earlier tomorrow. A walk and ice cream cones will probably be the big event of the day. I doubt that I'll see a plumber tomorrow. The dispatcher told me that emergency plumbers worked on the weekends but that ice makers weren't considered an emergency.

Shelby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4236

Long day. When I was fixing breakfast this morning I tried to get something out of the freezer and the door wouldn't open. Something strange was going on because the door seemed welded shut. I finally pried the door open with a large screwdriver and discovered that the inside of the freezer was covered with ice. The supply line to the icemaker had broken during the night and flooded the freezer. I guess it was a good thing that the water froze because it would have flooded the house otherwise.

I shut the refrigerator off and opened the door so the ice would melt. It was a huge mess because all the food in the freezer was frozen together. I went to the storage warehouse to get a large ice cooler and then to the supermarket to get two twenty pound bags of ice. I called the appliance repairman and then started to thaw the ice with a hair dryer so I could remove the food and transfer it to the ice chest. 

Luckily the appliance repairman was able to come out today. He discovered a broken valve that was supposed to stop the flow of water from the supply line after the ice trays were filled. I tried to shut off the supply line in the  utility room, but the shut off valve above the water heater was broken too. Now I had to call a plumber before the appliance repairman could continue working. I told him to order the parts he needed and come back tomorrow. Luckily, the second plumbing company I called had someone they could send out today.

The supply line to the refrigerator has been shut off now and all the ice in the refrigerator has been removed. It was a messy, tedious job to remove all the ice and clean up the water on the floor. I suspect that there is still some ice behind a metal plate on the freezer wall that I didn't have time to remove. I was able to salvage most of the food and we didn't have to throw much away. The ice cream all turned to soup, but most of the other stuff stayed frozen. The appliance repairman returns tomorrow and hopefully we will be back in business. I could have easily bought a new refrigerator for less than the cost of all the repairs I've made over the years. Unfortunately, nobody makes refrigerators that fit in our mid-fifties kitchen anymore. I'd either have to get a cheap apartment sized refrigerator, or completely remodel the kitchen so one of today's monster refrigerators would fit. I'm so tired of fixing things, but's that's life if you live in an old house.

I was able to get my errands done before the repairman arrived, but I wasn't able to get to the gym until very late in the day. I walked three miles around the track, lifted a few weights and came home again. Dawn still got her sunrise walk. I didn't even know there was a problem when we were walking Dawn this morning. If I hadn't wanted a scoop of ice cream in my morning smoothie, I might not have known until much later. It all worked out well. It was kind of a miracle that I was able to get an appliance repairman and a plumber out to the house on the same day. The refrigerator still isn't fixed, but nothing is leaking now and we're headed in the right direction.

Dawn doesn't bark at repairmen. All our other dogs went nuts when a repairman was in the house. Dawn just slept calmly on the bed in the bedroom the entire time. So far, I seem to be the only thing that upsets this dog. Dawn is still biting her paws, but the cone seems to work pretty well to protect them. You have to be careful when you take the cone off. The minute Dawn thinks you aren't looking, she'll start going after her paws again. I'm tired and a little discouraged. I'd much rather be out at the Astronomer's Lodge looking at the night sky without a care in the world.

Penny is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4235

Today was busy. Well, at least it was busy for me. I did more than one thing today which is becoming increasingly rare. It doesn't cool down at night the way it used to last month. Since our sunrise walks are warmer, Dawn doesn't like to walk as far. We are back to our bare minimum one mile loop again. I can't blame Dawn for wanting to get back inside. I usually feel like getting back inside as well.

I stopped at REI to pick up my new running shoes on my way to get a haircut. You could tell the whole mask situation is getting very confusing. Some of the staff were wearing masks while others weren't. The customers were the same way. I see this everywhere. When I went to the pharmacy a little later to pick up the antibiotics I need for my upcoming root canal, none of the pharmacists on duty were wearing masks. My hair stylist still wants customers to wear masks though and says she might continue wearing them forever. Clearly, we are just as divided on masks as we are on everything else in this country. I carry a mask in my back pocket and put it on if it makes someone happy. I don't think they are necessary if you have been vaccinated though. I'm wearing mine less and less.

I always enjoy getting a good haircut. Usually a haircut means I will be traveling somewhere interesting in the near future. Not this time. Travel is another thing that has become completely messed up in a post-Covid world. Planes are crowded and the people flying on them have become extremely rude. Hotels have gotten very expensive and rental cars are almost impossible to find in popular destinations. This is one of many reasons why I will be missing the upcoming Boeing Starliner launch. It's just as well I guess. If I was down in Titusville now, I would be fretting about the latest launch delay and wondering how I was going to pay for the trip. I'm hoping that things will change in the Fall, but I'm not counting on it. A perpetual Covid panic seems to benefit some people. This may go on forever.

I feel bad about making Dawn wear the cone so much, but it is the only thing that keeps her from licking and biting at her paws. We can usually leave the cone off in the mornings because she is tired after her sunrise walk and just goes to sleep. It's the afternoons where she gets into trouble. She knows we don't like the licking and will usually not go after her paws while one of us is in the room with her. If we leave her alone in the house she starts licking immediately. I thought this might be separation anxiety for a while, but she also does a lot of licking while we are asleep. Luckily, she can sleep normally wearing the cone, because she's been having to wear it at night lately.

I'm getting tired of spending money on things that bring no joy. I got my car insurance bill today and of course it was a lot higher than it was six months ago. I looked up the average price of a root canal on Google and was horrified at how expensive they were. Several reputable tree guys want to charge me as much as $5000 to remove the big Oak tree in the back yard. Lord knows how much it will cost to fix all the things that need attention in the house.

I went to the gym again today. I may not be getting any satisfaction, but I am still getting my steps. Maybe I'm fooling myself, but I still think staying in shape and drinking a healthy smoothie every morning is the secret to everything. We'll see how tomorrow goes. I've taken the trash out to the curb and watered the new grass. I'm ready for anything as long as there are no surprises.

Tink is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4234

Good grief. Usually a trip to the dentist is uneventful for me. I have good teeth and seldom have problems. Today the dentist told me that I have a cavity in one tooth and need a root canal in another. My regular dentist doesn't do root canals, so I had to go see an endodontist. My regular dentist said it was time for another pano-x-ray. That wasn't good enough for the endodontist however. He said I needed a cone beam CT scan. I got both. Needless to say, it was an expensive afternoon. All I was expecting was a routine teeth cleaning today. My teeth don't hurt and I had no idea there was a problem. The x-rays don't lie unfortunately, so I've got two different appointments in August for some major dental work.

This is probably why I still haven't made appointment with two other doctors I need to see this summer. I hate surprises and the older you get, the more likely you are to be surprised during a routine doctor visit. I'll get everything done this summer, but I'm saving the colonoscopy for last. I'd really like to avoid that one. 

Medical expenses always seem so unrewarding. I'd much rather get a new camera lens than a root canal. You can't ignore your health though. Both dentists agreed that it wouldn't be wise to postpone the root canal, even though the tooth isn't bothering me at the moment. The endodontist said the infection was still contained within the bone. "You don't want this to spread to soft tissue," he told me. "It will be very painful." OK. I believe you. I've made both dental appointments and will probably go ahead and make all my other appointments as well. I might as well get all this medical stuff behind me. Then I can concentrate on important things like going to rocket launches and visiting the observatory again.

It was too late to go to the gym after I returned from my two dental visits today. Even though it was very hot, I went for a walk instead. There was no compelling reason to do anything, but I really wanted to get those steps. I have become a slave to Fitbit and my Apple Watch. There's nothing wrong with exercise though. I think I'm in pretty good shape for 73. Age catches up with you though. Dusty Hill died today. He was younger than I am. I never saw ZZ Top perform, although I really liked their music. I should have gone to a concert while I had a chance. The band spent a lot of time in Dallas. Actually Dusty was born here.

Dawn is still trying to lick and bite her paws. I had to put a cone on her before I went to the dentist today. She's still taking antibiotics and I thought it was funny that the endodontist prescribed the same antibiotic for me. I'm supposed to start taking the pills four days before the root canal procedure. The root canal is underneath a crown and I keep thinking that this never would have happened if I hadn't gotten the crown. I chipped a tooth years ago and I wanted the dentist to just smooth the little chipped part and seal it. Nope. He said I had to have a crown, even though only a tiny part of the tooth had broken off. I still think that tooth was basically fine. What do I know about dentistry though? I'm the guy who went fifteen years without seeing a dentist at all.

Tomorrow I get a haircut. Somehow it is much easier for me to make a hair appointment than a doctor's appointment.

Queenie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4233

The sunrise walks are warmer now. You can tell what kind of day it is going to be the instant you step outside. I knew today was going to be a hot one. Dawn's enthusiasm for walking is very temperature dependent. She walked slower today and chose a shorter route. I couldn't blame her for wanting to get back to the house. When the temperature is already in the 80's during the coolest part of the day, even a dog knows that it's crazy to stay outside.

The air conditioner is running nonstop now. I keep hoping that this essential piece of machinery won't break. The problem with air conditioning is that it can only lower the ambient temperature by about twenty degrees. This works pretty well when the outside temperature is 90 degrees. When the temperature climbs over 100 degrees, most systems start to struggle. Our house isn't well insulated either. We have lots of single pane glass. The house was originally built with a thick tar and gravel roof that provided a modest amount of insulation. Modern roofing materials are much thinner and provide little insulation value at all. We have lost several large trees over the years as well, which used to provide lots of shade. We've always had hot summers here in Dallas, but it seems like the air conditioner is working a lot harder than it used to.

After breakfast I wrote a letter to my sister. This is the only way we communicate, so I always try to answer her letters. I kind of wish that everyone still wrote letters. It's easy to put a paper letter or a bill in a file folder and save it forever. I can't tell you how much e-mail that I have accidentally erased over the years. I have already forgotten to pay several bills now that I have switched over to electronic payments for everything. My old IBM Selectric typewriter used to feel so much more substantial than this Apple keyboard. I think my spelling used to be better back in the day as well, since it was such a pain to correct things. The older I get, the more nostalgic I become, so I guess I'm glad that there is still one person who believes in putting their thoughts on paper. My sister is even more old school than I am and writes everything in long hand instead of using a keyboard.

Dawn is getting better about wearing a cone while I'm away. She doesn't like it, but it works much better than the socks did for protecting her feet. She's got some new antibiotics now, but we still don't know what is causing the compulsive licking. It's rare that Janet and I are both away at the same time, so Dawn doesn't have to wear the cone that often. The redness does improve if we can keep her from licking or biting at her paws, so maybe if we can just keep her away from those paws for two or three weeks, everything will be better.

The gym must have fixed their air conditioning overnight, because the place was much cooler today. A lot of the treadmills are still broken, but I was still able to find a good one. It looks like I might be going to the gym every day this week because we've got a long string of 100 degree days ahead of us. Oddly, my car has better air conditioning than either our house or the gym. I have no problems staying cool in my car.   The only problem I have with the car is that it gets terrible gas mileage. If I'm driving in the city, I can almost see the gas gauge go down while I'm looking at it. Its silly to complain about this though, since I don't drive much and basically go nowhere. I only fill my tank about every three weeks.

The foam inserts for my camera case finally arrived. I haven't installed the foam in the case yet because I still have to cut slots in the foam for the lenses and camera. It seems like I had a special knife for this at one point. I'll have to look for it. Once I replace the disintegrating foam in the old aluminum Halliburton case I probably won't look at the cameras again for several years. It's way too much trouble to shoot on film these days unless you do the processing yourself.

I hope it's a little cooler tomorrow, but I'm sure it won't be. I'm probably going to be complaining about the heat for the next several months. 

Deuce is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4232

The heat is getting serious. The temperature topped 100 degrees for the second day in a row. Everywhere I went today it felt like the air conditioners were struggling to keep up. Even our sunrise walk this morning felt considerably warmer than usual. I can't wait for Fall to arrive. The sad thing is that we aren't even getting the worst of the summer heat. Many other parts of the country have it worse than we do.

Luckily, the kennel was still keeping Charlie and Cooper nice and cool. The boys are alone again, since Daisy went to her forever home this week. Not surprisingly, the dogs didn't want to go outside today. Cooper really didn't want to go outside and decided to poop in the indoor play area instead. We left the possum toy home today because it seemed to be making Charlie sad. We brought two new toys that didn't look like animals and both dogs had fun thrashing them around and trying to get the squeakers out. Both dogs have gotten extremely good at catching toys when we throw them in the air. They know all the basic commands and enjoy showing off. The kennel staff agrees that these two boys are happy dogs. They seem to think that the kennel is their home. Maybe it is. Charlie has sure been there for a very long time. I still hope they can find a real home. For the right person, each of these dogs would make a great companion.

It was so hot when we returned from the kennel that I didn't even consider walking in the park. Even though it was late in the day, I went to the gym instead. The gym wasn't ice cold for the first time I can remember. Even their massive air conditioners were having trouble coping with the heat. Evidently they are still having problems finding a technician to repair the treadmills. Even more were broken today. In fact, one treadmill died while I was using it. I had to search all over the floor to find another that still functioned properly.

More people are wearing masks at the gym again. I have a feeling that it won't be long before there is a mask mandate again. I always keep one in my pocket just in case I'm asked to wear it. Hospitalization rates in Dallas are quite low, but media stories about the Delta variant have gotten a lot of people worried again. You can't say they aren't trying to get everyone vaccinated. I had to pick up a prescription at the pharmacy and the pharmacist asked if I'd had my Covid shots yet. There were big banners on the store advertising free Covid shots inside with no waiting or appointment needed. I don't really understand the reluctance to take this shot. I've been vaccinated against virtually everything over the years and am still doing well. Nobody questions their vet when it's time for a rabies shot. When I was a kid getting vaccinated for everything from polio to measles, there weren't any anti-vaxers. There wasn't any social media either. Social media is at the root of so many of today's problems. It is an addiction every bit as serious as alcoholism or drug abuse. If we could somehow just make Facebook, Twitter, Tik-Tok, and all the other media distractions disappear, the world would be a better place. Medical decisions should be between you and your doctor. They shouldn't be between you and a million other people on Facebook.

I'm glad I'm old. I think future historians will write about this period of time the way we write about the fall of Rome. Civil society is crumbling and we are slowly forgetting that it wasn't always this way. I grew up in a time where my family took vacations all over the United States in a car without seat belts. We played on rusty jungle gyms and swing sets, swam in creeks, and went unsupervised at night on Halloween all over town. There wasn't a single murder in our town during the entire time I was growing up. We rode our bicycles to school and our parents never worried that we'd be involved in a mass shooting. I grew up confident that the world was full of opportunities and never missed not having a phone in my pocket. I'm glad to have experienced this moment in time because it's gone now.

Smokey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4231

Another Sunday in the books. It was pretty much the same as last Sunday, but there's nothing wrong with that. We have definitely entered the hottest part of the summer. I try to walk earlier and drink lots of water. I wish we'd get a cool day so I could mow the grass. It's just too hot to mow the grass or go up on the roof right now. I do water the grass though. So far, the new grass hasn't died.

We still enjoy our sunrise walks. It's amazing how quickly the temperature rises as soon as the sun comes up. Dawn walked a lot today. She went a mile and a half on our early walk and then walked another mile when we took her on her Sunday outing. I took my own long walk in between these two dog walks. Now my routine includes standing under the spray fountain I discovered recently. An early start and a cooling mist of water along the way really helps.

When we got ice cream after Dawn's outing today, I noticed that the cones have gotten smaller. The price is the same, but there is definitely less ice cream in each cone. This is happening everywhere. I can't think of a single instance where portion sizes have increased recently. I've already mentioned dog food cans and paper towel rolls, but I'm sure there are other things as well. When you buy the same things over and over again, you notice small changes.

We've got to come up with a better solution for protecting Dawn's feet. All the socks we've tried don't tend to stay on very long. I don't know how she gets them off, but whenever I look she's always missing a sock. So far we've been using things that were left over from Dot and Dash. We probably need to measure her feet and find something that is specifically designed for her feet. Lots of luck with that though. Dog socks just tend to come in small, medium, and large. Hopefully, when we eventually discover why she is licking her paws, we can deal with the root cause and the licking will stop.

I ordered a new pair of Hoka One One running shoes today. My old shoes haven' worn out yet, but since I will probably be wearing these things forever, it makes sense to buy a pair whenever I see a good sale. It's a shame that running shoes wear out so quickly. I have hiking boots that will last for generations, but they hurt my feet now so I can't wear them anymore. All my old shoes still fit fine. When your cartilage starts to degenerate and wear out, your feet just aren't very forgiving.

Sometimes I wonder what I'd like to do in the years ahead. If I had a car that was absolutely guaranteed not to break down in the middle of nowhere, I'd wander aimlessly along the back roads of America, stopping whenever I found a place that seemed lost in time. I would avoid cities like the plague. The future looks bleak, but the past still exists, tucked away in little pockets here and there. It might be fun looking for them.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4230

It was apparent when we took our sunrise walk this morning that it was going to be a hot day. We got a late start, but it still felt early to me. I didn't sleep well last night. A combination of heartburn and an upset stomach showed me that I've really got to start watching what I eat. I felt better after the walk, but still felt like goig back to bed.

Since today was definitely too hot for a walk in the park, I thought I'd try something new. I went to the gym before I did my Saturday grocery shopping. The gym closes early on Saturday, but this worked out pretty well. I walked three miles at the gym and did a little work with free weights before going to two grocery stores that were on my way home anyway. I got all my shopping done earlier than I usually do and  I didn't have to think about walking in the hot sun. Mission accomplished.

We got a small cone of shame for Dawn, but she really doesn't like it. When I ran my errands this morning I put a waterproof covering on the bed so we wouldn't have another laundry disaster if Dawn started licking again. She does most of her licking while we're gone. It's a shame that we can't leave the paper bootie bandages on her paws while we are away. I'm afraid that she might eat the booties trying to get them off and we would find ourselves at the emergency vet with a blockage. The socks work great while we are at home, but we have to keep an eye on Dawn. The booties do prevent her from licking her paws, but she knows how to get them off now. Keeping her from licking is an uphill battle.

This afternoon was uneventful. There were a number of things I should have done, but I couldn't seem to get motivated. Ants are getting in the house again, but I can't figure out where they are coming from. This would be a good time to patch the roof since there is no rain in the forecast, but it is way too hot. I tried to take a nap with Dawn, but she didn't want to share the bed and went off to her dog bed in the kitchen. It's too bad I don't enjoy watching television. It was kind of a television watching afternoon.

I'm really disappointed that Florida has become a virus hotspot again. The Boeing Starliner launch is next week and NASA recently sent out invitations to apply for credentials to view an upcoming ISS resupply mission in late August. Things are happening, but I'm just not involved. I feel like I'm losing touch with the space community, but I still don't feel any burning desire to return to Kennedy Space Center right now. I don't think I could turn any of this summer's launches into an interesting story for Spaceflight magazine anyway, and I don't want to press my luck by traveling into a virus hotspot.

I've got to find something interesting to do in Dallas, or I'm just going to be mowing the grass and fretting about Dawn's paws. I could make a long list of things I don't want to do, but the list of things that interest me is getting pretty small. I really wonder if I'm going to make it until Day 5000. I may just wake up one morning and realize that this quest is silly and pointless.

When I wake up tomorrow I'll be thinking about Dawn's Sunday outing. Janet and I both enjoy this little trip because it makes Dawn happy. If a walk in a different park and an ice cream cone can make Dawn happy, I guess it's good enough for me as well

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day