Day 4255

More rain today. We didn't think Dawn would walk at all this morning, but she surprised us and did pretty well. The skies were dark and ominous looking all day, but by carefully watching the weather radar we were able to take our sunrise walk a little later than usual. I was also able to take my long walk later in the day, although I did get a bit wet.

I always watch the morning news while I drink my smoothie and today's news was as dismal as the weather. I felt foolish complaining about anything as I watched what is happening to those people in Afghanistan. Was this preventable? Probably. Will it get even worse? Definitely.

The people in Haiti aren't doing too well either. Janet knows some people from her home town who run an orphanage in Haiti. They keep hanging in there through one disaster after another. I wonder what gives people the resilience to deal with impossible conditions. I cope with prosperity fairly well, but I don't know how I'd deal with sustained adversity. A little roof leak is enough to send me over the edge.

With no work projects to speak of and little to do around the house, I depend on daily walks. I set out on today's walk without waiting for the rain to stop. There was a light drizzle for the first few miles, but it actually felt pretty good. It is almost unheard in Dallas of to have temperatures in the 70's in August. This was the first time in ages that I was able to complete my long walk without getting hot and sweaty. I did get wet though. The local ducks and geese were all in their usual places, but they looked pitiful today. Some of them looked too wet to fly. It makes me wonder where animals go during a bad storm. They must have a place to hide.

I'm glad the pumps are still working. I just don't have the energy to climb up on the roof and monkey around with them anymore. I can't believe that I used to occasionally go up on the roof during a storm. In a few more years I probably won't be able to go up there at all. It's not that safe on the roof and my balance isn't as good as it used to be. It would be nice to live in a brand new house without any problems, but that ship has sailed. It's not going to happen. I don't think a problem free house exists anyway. It's a fantasy.

I made reservations for dinner tomorrow. We don't do much these days, but we do still celebrate birthdays. Time passes so quickly. We were the youngest people in the neighborhood when we moved here and now we're the oldest. We're both still fairly healthy though and have a lot to be thankful for. Janet is two months younger than me but often seems years younger. I guess a positive attitude is beneficial after all.

I'm still a little worried about Dawn's vet appointment on Friday. If they aren't successful at flushing out her bladder stones, I think they are going directly to surgery since she will already be under anesthesia. The surgery is considered very safe, but I always worry about surgery. It would take a lot to get me to consider any type of elective surgery. I think I'd rather live with a bad knee than have a knee replacement.

Hopefully the weather clears up a bit tomorrow. We've definitely had enough rain.

Lucy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4254

Another rainy day. We tried to get an early start this morning, but Dawn wasn't having any part of it. She doesn't like getting wet and quickly reverted to her old tactic of freezing in place. It wasn't raining when we left the house, but we had to turn around and go home before we were even out of sight of the house. Dawn can be realy stubbborn but she usually gets her way. Maybe she could smell what was coming. It wan't long before the skies opened up and we had another downpour.

The rain came and went throughout the day. It was enough to make me worry about roof leaks but I was still able to take my long walk. The weather certainly helped to cool things down. My walk would have been quite pleasant today if it weren't for my bad knee and aching feet. I don't know why I feel so compelled to keep walking. I guess it's better than doing nothing.

I got a message from McDonald Observatory this morning asking if I could come out to help with star parties in mid September. I was kind of surprised because these folks have always been super worried about Covid. They're still planning on resuming normal operations though. Maybe things are better in far West Texas. Jeff Davis County does have one of the lowest transmission rates for the disease in the entire state. 

I'm still undecided, but I'll probably go. The Space X Inspiration 4 launch is in mid September as well. That's an interesting mission and I got an invitation to apply for press credentials, but I'm undecided about this as well. I don't think I can afford to do both things. At this point a trip to the observatory seems safer and less expensive than a trip to Kennedy Space Center. A lot can change in a month though. We'll see what happens.

Hopefully Dawn will be completely cured and back to normal by mid September. Her damaged paws are starting to heal and she rarely attempts to bite at them anymore. This Friday the vet will try to flush the stones out of her bladder so she won't need surgery. I hope this works. I'd feel a little better about traveling if I knew Dawn was completely healthy again. So far, so good. She seems a little more subdued than usual, but that could just be the weather.

So far there have been no roof leaks. I wonder what caused the roof to leak before? The rain we've gotten in the past two days had been much heavier than the rain that actually did cause the roof to leak. It's one of life's many mysteries. I still hesitate to repair the sheetrock in the ceiling though. I can almost guarantee that as soon as I patched things up and painted again, the roof will immediately start leaking and I'll be back to square one.

I'm trying to resist the occasional urge to turn the blog into a political rant. It's hard to avoid current events these days and everybody has an opinion. That's part of the problem. There is too much anger and way too many opinions. I've thought for years that we were governed by idiots. Nothing has happened recently to change my opinion. I think it's ironic that there is this big push to make it easier to vote. We should really be making it harder to vote. At a bare minimum there should be some sort of an intelligence test involved. Oh, well. I do believe in Karma. It's a shit show out there, but we are probably just getting what we deserve.

Maybe I'll get my car safety inspected tomorrow. I'm starting to run out of time. I'm always running out of time.

Toby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4253

Dawn's paws continue to improve. The redness has subsided and fur is starting to grow back. She only has to wear the cone when we are both out of the house now. We're still not sure what caused Dawn to quit licking. It could be the new allergy medicine or it could be the antibiotics that finally got rid of her bacterial infection. Very occasionally she still had the desire to bite at her paws, but the whole situation is much, much better.

All three boys are still at the kennel. Someone looked at Bullet this week, but he didn't get adopted. The dogs were in fine spirits today and were all very playful. We got a new soft toy for Charlie and this time he didn't get weird with it. He just tried to get the squeaker out and destroy the toy like a normal dog. We had to put it away after a while because it wouldn't have survived the afternoon. The boys are pretty rough on toys and very few things survive. There is a solid red rubber ball that is indestructible, but only Bullet likes to play with it. The bright yellow Kong football has held up pretty well, but the best toys are two rope octopus toys that all three dogs love to thrash around with. Charlie, Cooper and Bullet are all great dogs. They are healthy, lots of fun, and will make great pets for the right person.

Dawn is still not walking very far on our sunrise walks, but she seems happy enough with her one mile loop. I wish the temperature would stay like it is when we take these early morning walks. It was very pleasant at 6:30 AM. At 3 PM, when I decided to take my own long walk, it was almost unbearable. I should have gone to the gym today, but I just didn't feel like it. Maybe I'm starting to worry about Covid again, or maybe I just didn't feel like driving. The gym just didn't feel like a good option today.

Somehow, I finished my full six mile route. I stopped at the spray fountain twice though and wet myself down. The elastic knee brace definitely makes the long walk easier. I just need to remember to wear it. I thought we might get some rain this afternoon. The sky got dark and I heard thunder in the distance, but the small storm must have passed to the North of us. My opinions about rain have changed a bit as the days get hotter. I welcome a little rainfall now. These short summer storms don't appear to cause the roof to leak and they keep the yard looking green. An old fashioned all day rain still causes a lot of problems, but we haven't been having that type of weather lately.

I'm old enough to remember the fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam war. The current exit from Afghanistan seems exactly the same. What were the generals thinking? Instead of getting on television and talking endlessly about diversity training and flying rainbow flags at Army bases, they should have remembered there was still a war going on and figured out how to get all their expensive equipment out of the country instead of just giving it to the Taliban. They had six months to plan an orderly exit. Nope. Can't do that. Lets have chaos instead. As a result, the Taliban now owns some of the most sophisticated military equipment on the planet, all courtesy of us. Say what you will, but Biden owns this mess. You can't keep blaming your predecessors forever.

I can't figure out how so many healthy people are already getting their third Covid shot. A third shot isn't even authorized yet unless you are severely immunocompromised. I think that people who want a third shot are just walking up to their local pharmacy and telling their pharmacist that they haven't been vaccinated yet. It's weird world we live in. You've got people who refuse to take the vaccine at all and then you've got other people who'd take ten shots in a row if they could.

Pogo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4252

Yesterday's rain did cool things down a bit. It was pleasantly cool on our sunrise walk and we were able to take Dawn on her Sunday outing as well. We had a nice, traditional breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast and then I took my long walk right after breakfast. I've started wearing an elastic knee brace and it really helps. I didn't feel like my right knee was constantly popping out of joint today. My body felt surprisingly normal. I like days like this because clearly nothing else in the world is anywhere near normal.

Dawn did very well on her Sunday outing. She added another mile to her sunrise walk and didn't appear tired at all. Cooler temperatures make a huge difference. It may seem weird to call temperatures in the eighties cool, but that's the way it is in Texas. Eighty degrees is always a lot better than one hundred degrees. When we went for ice cream after our walk, there was a line of cars at the drive up window.  We haven't seen this for a while. Maybe we were just a little later today. We didn't get a free pup cone this time, but the ice cream was still good.

The Union Pacific Big Boy steam engine that we went to see last year in Palestine, Texas was in Fort Worth this weekend. Somewhat surprisingly, I had no interest in seeing it again. Maybe it was the difference between a pleasant drive in the country and a congested drive to another big city. Janet and I have actually ridden on the yellow passenger cars that were part of today's train, although they were pulled by a different engine. Quite a few years ago Union Pacific brought a special historic excursion train to Dallas and we managed to get tickets. Train travel is still appealing to me. In my younger years I've taken the Great Northern Empire Builder from Seattle to Chicago. I've also ridden the Sante Fe Super Chief and other historic trains. Amtrak doesn't even come close to these grand old passenger trains, but even the worst Amtrak train is better than most airlines.

It's sad to see what is happening in Afghanistan. What a colossal waste of money and American lives. We were there for twenty years and accomplished absolutely nothing. You'd think we would have learned after Vietnam that these types of 'nation building' wars are pointless. Biden could have done a much better job of getting out, but we shouldn't have been there in the first place.

I thought my Fitbit was broken this morning. It was completely dead and didn't appear to take a charge. Sadly, I've become addicted to this thing. Looking at stats and comparing one day to another brings a certain structure to my days. Lord knows there isn't much else in today's world that provides a reference point. At any rate, I was mad that I had no sleep data from last night. I thought I might have to go out and buy another Fitbit this afternoon, but I left the Fitbit on the charger while I took my long walk and eventually it must have remembered the battery was dead and started recharging. Crisis averted. I know it shouldn't matter how many steps I get in a day, but it does.

We've got to decide whether to keep Dawn on the allergy medicine or not. She's definitely not biting or licking her paws as much, but it might have nothing to do with allergies. It could have been that the MRSA infection was causing intense itching or even pain. I guess it makes sense to continue the medication until her paws heal and then discontinue it for a while to see if the licking returns. Maybe trial and error is the only solution. Dawn's bladder stones need to be removed as well. I hope the vet is able to flush them out. This would be much better than surgery.

It's time to visit the rescue Dalmatians again. I'm not sure if Bullet is still there. I think someone was looking at him last week. Janet got a new toy for Charlie. That's always interesting.

Freckles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4251

Life is full of little surprises. The battery in my smart key fob went dead and I discovered that I couldn't start my car without it. You'd think this would be a simple fix, but it wasn't. I couldn't figure out how to get the old battery out of the key fob so I went to the Internet for help. Before I could find what I needed, a sudden storm appeared and the power went out. I called in the power outage on my phone and then attemped to restore our WiFi connection using back-up power. I couldn't find everything I needed, but luckily the power came back on about an hour later. I found a YouTube video that showed how to disassemble the key fob and replace the battery, but I didn't have the correct battery in my watch battery box. I found another video that showed how to start your car without the key fob and went to the grocery store to get a new battery. Everything is fixed now, but it took an enormous amount of time to do something that should have been very simple.

I'm glad went to the gym and I got all my grocery shopping done this morning, because we got a lot of rain this afternoon. There was quite a downpour and I wasn't expecting it at all. So far the roof hasn't leaked. This doesn't really mean anything though. Water could have gotten inside the elastomer coating on the roof and is still working its way toward a crack in the ceiling. I'm not really sure where to put a bucket out, because the leak could basically appear anywhere. Hopefully the rain is over and a new leak won't appear. I'm very tired of roof leaks.

The gym was surprisingly crowded this morning and so were the grocery stores. It appears that people are determined not to go back into lockdown mode. When we were taking Dawn on her sunrise walk, we passed a large group of people running together. They didn't appear to be worried about anything. I worry a little, but still find it strange that the pandemic feels so distant from me. I probably wouldn't even know that Covid exists if it weren't for Facebook and cable news.

Dawn isn't licking as much today, so maybe the new allergy pills she's taking are working. She also doesn't seem to have as much energy, so maybe the pills have something to do with that as well. I'm probably overthinking this, but I don't like the idea of solving Dawn's problems through trial and error. Maybe there is no other way. Dawn may know what's bothering her, but she sure isn't talking. 

Every time the power goes out there are all kinds of things that need to be reset. I've already reset the two dehumidifiers and a few clocks but I'm sure that there are all sorts of things that will surprise me tomorrow. I'm sure the coffee maker won't turn on at the correct time but I don't want to mess with it now. A lot of things seems to have a life of their own in this house. Some stuff will reconnect to the WiFi network automatically when power is restored, but other things won't. At least the lights are on and the computer is working. I'd love to have one of those whole home backup generators, but they are very expensive and our power outages usually don't last that long.

Maybe today's rain will keep thing cooler tomorrow. I hope so. Last week it was too hot for Dawn's Sunday outing although we still got ice cream. The gym is closed tomorrow and I don't want to sit around the house all day. Let's hope for no roof leaks tonight and walking weather in the morning.

Elliott is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4250

Dawn's infection is gone. There was no bacteria in the cultured sample this time. This is good news. We've still got to get rid of the bladder stones though. She has an appointment next week and the vet is going to try to flush out her bladder first and try to avoid the need for surgery. We still may need surgery though because the infection will reoccur of the stones remain in her bladder. There was some talk of doing a CT scan to see if there was anything else going on in her abdomen, but we decided to take things one step at a time and see if getting rid of the bladder stones solves her problems. The new allergy pills Dawn is taking now appear to be working. She hardly tried to lick her paws at all today.

I scheduled a service appointment for my car today and was surprised to discover that the first availability for a loaner car was September 28. Jeez. I asked what the problem was and the service guy said that the chip shortage we've been hearing about was so bad that the dealership was having problems keeping cars on the lot. They have started to sell their loaner car fleet as used cars now. They said they could do the service sooner without a loaner car, but I'm not falling for that again.  Whenever the dealership says they can get the car back the same day, you're usually still waiting four days later. I still need to get my car safety inspected this month, but I can do that anywhere.

Dawn seemed slow on her walk this morning. Maybe it is the new allergy pills she's taking. I hope allergy medications don't affect her the same way they affect me. When I take antihistamines or even something like Allegra, I just don't feel right. It feels like there is a constant buzzing in my head. It's almost better to have the allergies. Luckily allergy season is over for a while. I wish dogs could talk. It's always hard to tell how medications affect them.

The gym seems different now. It feels like the early days right after it first reopened. More people are wearing masks while they exercise now. There is no requirement to do this, but some people must be worried. The gym is so large and empty that being near other people is rarely a problem. There were less than ten people in the entire place this afternoon. I saw no need to keep my mask on while I exercised.

The treadmill I use is near a TV that is permanently tuned to HGTV. I've noticed that these home improvement shows all follow a fairly rigid formula. First a designer leads a couple through a house that looks completely messed up. A wall is always removed to "open the place up." A huge amount of time is spent choosing ceramic tiles for a kitchen backsplash. Usually the old carpet is ripped up to reveal a pretty hardwood floor underneath that everyone wants to keep. Finally pine cones and arty little nicknacks are placed on shelves, throw pillows are strategically placed on the couch and the couple is invited back in to ooh and ahh. I'm sure the cooking shows follow a formula too, but those TVs are in another part of the gym that I seldom use.

We had spaghetti for dinner tonight. I know this will give me heartburn, but it is still one of my favorite meals. Other than the occasional acid reflux, I'm feeling pretty healthy. My dermatologist keeps leaving me text messages to make an appointment, but there is nothing wrong with my skin. I feel like staying far away from hospitals and medical facilities right now. It's time to make a grocery list again. I feel sorry for the grocery store people because they're probably going to have to put all those "Stay six feet apart" stickers back on the floor that they just got finished scraping up. Hopefully nobody starts hoarding toilet paper again.

Emma is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4249

We got some bad news at the vet today. Dawn has some large bladder stones that will need to be surgically removed. The stones never showed up on x-rays, but the vet did an ultrasound today and they were very obvious. The vet thinks the stones are one reason why her infection had been so hard to get rid of. We still don't know if her last course of antibiotics worked, They will have to do another bacteria culture to determine that. 

I asked the vet if lithotripsy could be used for dogs. I had this non-invasive procedure many years ago to remove my own bladder stones and it worked very well. Bacically the procedure uses shock waves to break up the stones and then the debris is passed through the urine. Evidently lithotripsy does work on dogs, but very few vets have the equipment needed. There is a mobile veterinary lithotripsy truck that travels around the country, but the vet didn't know where it was currently. He said the procedure is quite expensive and that surgery is much more affordable. At any rate, we will probably need to have the surgery done soon so we can clear up her infection before it becomes even worse.

We still don't have any answers about Dawn's obsession with licking her paws. It could be a behavioral problem. It could be allergies. It could be something medical that hasn't even been diagnosed yet. The vet seems to think Dawn needs to wear a cone all the time because it only takes five minutes of licking to undo a week of healing. He showed us a special soft cone that she could wear all the time. I guess we'll order one. She's also trying a new medication that is supposed to be very effective with certain allergies. I gave the vet a list of Dawn's weird behaviors in hopes that this might lead to a quick diagnosis. He wasn't very impressed and still thinks the process of elimination through trial and error will eventually solve the problem.

It was way too hot today for a walk in the park. Even our sunrise walk felt a little warm, although we did have a nice breeze this morning. We always seem to run into the dog that bit me many years ago on our early walks. The dog is well behaved, on a short leash, and listens to his owner better than Dawn listens to us. Nevertheless, it still makes me very nervous to be anywhere near this dog. It probably shows. I always move as far out of the way as I can when we pass on the street.

There is a new mask mandate in Dallas, but nobody seems to be listening. Admittedly, I don't get out that much, but so far I haven't detected any change in people's behavior at all. Few people were wearing masks at the vet and it is largely a symbolic gesture at the gym. Most people seem more angry than worried. Everybody had plans for the Fall and now those plans are in limbo again. It's a shame that everyone wants to blame someone else for their Covid woes. I think that even if the entire country were vaccinated, we would still have problems with the variants. The variants are all coming from other countries and the entire society just can't seem to stop traveling. Just stop traveling for a while. It's a no-brainer.

I keep hearing that "everybody took the polio vaccine so why won't they take the Covid vaccine." Jeez. It took years and years to develop an effective polio vaccine. The first polio vaccines actually gave people polio. The smallpox vaccine never worked on me because I never developed a scar on my arm. Doctors couldn't decide whether I had a natural immunity to the disease or if the vaccine just didn't work so they kept vaccinating me over and over again. Lord knows how many smallpox vaccinations I received as a child. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that it's hard to defeat a microscopic organism that trying just as hard to survive as we are. You've got to be patient. Masks aren't the problem. Human behavior is the problem.

The trip to the vet was the big event for the day. I wrote a letter to my sister, took it to the post office, and went to the gym. That was about it. I did remember to take the trash out to the curb though. Hopefully, the sanitation people will remember to pick it up tomorrow.

Ellis is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4248

I was aprehensive about my root canal today, but it all turned out well. The endodontist was very good. The only pain I felt was to my wallet. Yikes. I had no idea a root canal would be $2200. The endodontist said I had unusually deep roots, but I think he was just an expensive dentist. The whole procedure seemed quite complicated. Every time I thought we were done, the endodontist pulled out a different instrument and did something else. 

At one point during the procedure I thought I smelled burning flesh. I mentioned this and the dentist said there was a small amount of dead tissue inside the tooth, but that I might have smelled burning rubber instead. Nope. This was burning flesh. I smelled the same thing when the dermatoligist burned off keratosis growths on my skin. It seems weird to have spent so much money and the tooth looks exactly the same as it did before. I'm glad the root canal is done though. It's one more loathsome thing I can check off my list.

I didn't have my smoothie this morning and didn't feel like eating much for dinner tonight. This is as close to dieting as I get. Tomorrow I'll be back on my regular schedule. The numbness in my mouth has finally worn off and their is no pain or soreness in the tooth. It's weird when your entire tongue feels numb. A dentist is a lot like a fancy mechanic in many ways. As I listened to the endodontist ask his assistant for different tools this morning, it sounded a lot like they were working on a car.

We tried to get Dawn to walk a little longer this morning because we knew she would be alone for a while inside the house. She wasn't interested though and just wanted to do her short one mile loop. She has to wear a cone now while we are away. Just to make sure I won't have to wash all the bedding again, I put a waterproof drop cloth on the bed as well. On top of this goes Dawn's favorite dog blanket. It all works out pretty well, but I still feel bad that she has to wear the cone. I tried to make it up to her when I returned home. I sat outside with her for at least half an hour and she had a good time rolling in the grass.

When the anesthetics wore off about mid afternoon I decided to go to the gym. There was a huge traffic jam at the Covid testing site today and I had to take a detour. Something has clearly changed. This site has been here for quite a while, but I've never seen so many people waiting to be tested before. There were more people wearing masks while they exercised at the gym today as well. I hope the gym doesn't close again. It might though. We are definitely headed in the wrong direction.

Dawn goes back to the vet tomorrow for some more tests. Hopefully the MRSA infection is gone now. I keep thinking that this has to be related to the itching and paw licking. There's always a chance that the licking is purely a behavioral problem, but this doesn't make sense to me because Dawn has been with us for well over a year and never began obsessively licking her skin until recently. Old vet records show that Dawn had a bacterial infection when she entered the rescue program. Maybe the initial treatment she received didn't completely clear up the infection and it gradually returned. Who knows at this point. We've got to get this problem solved though. Dawn is not a happy dog right now.

I've got to get my car safety inspected soon. It's time for a new sticker again. I guess I might as well make an appointment for my regular scheduled maintenance as well. I hate to throw even more money down the drain, but I'm tired of seeing that 'service required' light come on every time I start the car. I wish I'd have a month or two with no expenses at all. That's not going to happen though.

Hannah is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4247

Last year at this time we were in the middle of a pandemic. Apparently, we still are. A year has gone by and it feels like nothing has happened at all. We were taking sunrise walks with Dawn last August because that's what you do when the weather gets hot. I was waiting for things to open up so I could resume attending launches again. I'm still waiting. Last year there was a big stained spot in the ceiling where the roof had leaked. The spot is still there. It's hard to get enthusiastic about anything. Sometime I wake up in the morning and think "That's it, I'm done." Then I get up, make the bed and get ready for our sunrise walk. There is a cadence to each day that is very familiar. It's easy to get from breakfast to dinner without a lot of thought. I often feel like complaining about my many aches and pains and then I remember friends who have cancer or aren't even here anymore and realize I have nothing to complain about at all. Life is good. I just need to appreciate it more.

I called the dentist office to confirm my appointment for tomorrow. I wanted to make sure I could drive to and from the appointment on my own. I don't know why I thought I might be sedated for the procedure, but I've never had a root canal before. They assured me that getting a root canal wasn't much different than getting a filling. I'll be glad when this is over. Having dental work done is the least satisfying way of spending money I can think of. I've thought about getting dental insurance but it really doesn't cover very much. My teeth are pretty good so I'll continue to take my chances. Hey, three cavities in seventy three years isn't bad at all.

Dawn hates the new larger cone, but it keeps her from reaching her rear paws. She only wears the cone while she's on the bed because that's where she does the most damage. While she's walking or active around the house, she seldom pays any attention to her paws. If I feel sorry for her and take the cone off, it won't take five minutes before she starts going after the paws again. It's frustrating. Dawn has a vet appointment this week to make sure her bacterial infection is gone. Hopefully the vet will have some answers about the obsessive licking for us.

I really should have gone to the gym today, but I didn't feel like driving. I took my long walk instead and was very hot. There aren't many people in the park on days like this. A few bicycles passed me on the trails and I think I saw one or two other walkers, but the place was basically empty. I completed my six miles, but when I returned home I was done for the day. 

I wonder how Facebook decides what to show me? I'm not very active and seldom reveal my interests. I always erase the cookies on my computer at the end of the day as well. The blog is just a JPEG image on Facebook,  so I doubt that they're reading that. Nevertheless, my feed is filled with pictures of guitars, reviews of the new Ford Bronco, and updates from NASA. They've actually got me pegged pretty well. There used to be lots of information about watches on my feed, but somehow Facebook has learned that I've lost interest in watches. Even though my timeline is mostly pictures of Dalmatians, I get very few sponsored posts about dog products. It's all very curious.

I don't think I'll have time for my morning smoothie tomorrow. My dental appointment is in the morning and the whole ritual of preparing and drinking the huge smoothie takes forever. Maybe I'll just have a small bowl of fruit instead. I could always skip breakfast entirely. I'm definitely in no danger of starving.

J-Lo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

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

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