Day 4680

Today was busy. We got started with a nice early morning walk. I hesitate to call these sunrise walks anymore because usually we have completed our walk and are home again well before sunrise. It was dark and a bit chilly this morning. We clipped lights to our jackets and Dawn wore her green LED collar. I wish everyone wore lights when they walked in the dark. It's still a little unsettling when a runner, or even worse a stealth bicycle, surprises you in the dark.

After my weekday breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit, I checked my messages and took my long walk in the park. This was the first time this season that I've worn a jacket on one of these walks. I still wore shorts though. It will have to get a little colder before I resort to long pants. That day is probably coming soon. The cold front that arrived with our recent rain promises even lower temperatures later in the week. 

I made good time today although I didn't set any records. My feet didn't bother me much, which always makes a difference. This weekend's rain washed away much of the sticky aphid honeydew on the roads. It was nice not to have to clean my shoes when I returned this morning. Hopefully these aphids will disappear soon, just like the ants and web worms that preceded them. We don't have a lot of Maple trees here in Dallas, but the ones I do see are showing some nice Fall color. Some of the Red Oaks actually do turn bright red in the Fall, but their leaves haven't started to turn yet. Some of the Pecan trees are turning yellow and I'm starting to see lots of Goldenrod near the shoreline at the lake. It's going to be a colorful Fall.

The park squirrels are all busy gathering nuts for the Winter. They love this season's abundant pecan crop. There seem to be more Double-Crested Cormorants every day and the female Muscovy Duck that has joined the two males is a permanent fixture now. Maybe there will be ducklings in a few months. No eagle sightings though. It will be easier to spot the eagles a few months from now when all the leaves are off the trees.

After I returned home I had a quick lunch before dealing with today's to-do list. I never used to eat lunch. Maybe that's why I've been gaining weight. You'd think I'd be losing weight with all the time I spend walking. I guess I need to walk faster.  I paid a bunch of bills this afternoon and did this month's Quickbooks accounting. This takes longer than you'd think because I am obsessively meticulous and have a Quickbooks category for just about everything. 

I finally made an appointment to see the eye doctor, even though I'm dreading the visit. I was glad that the first he could see me was sometime in December. I'm in no hurry. I actually am in a hurry to get my car serviced though, so I made an appointment to get this done as well. I'm tired of seeing that annoying "service required" light every time I start the car. Unfortunately, nobody offers loaner cars anymore. That convenience disappeared with Covid. I was able to schedule a time where I can just wait at the shop while they do the required service. I'd rather sit around at the shop for a few hours than deal with Uber again. I've never been a fan of Uber and Lyft.

Curiosity got the better of me and I upgraded the star tracker to the latest firmware this afternoon. I don't expect a lot more of these software updates. The product has finally reached production status and is available in stores now. My days as a beta tester are coming to a close. I did get a good deal on the tracker by becoming a Kickstarter backer. The retail version of the star tracker sells for a lot more than what I paid.

The last thing I did today was a load of laundry. You can't have a proper busy day without doing a little laundry. Maybe I should have saved some of this stuff for tomorrow. I have no plans for tomorrow at all.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4679

Today's all day rain didn't really amount to much. The only time we got wet was when we tried to take Dawn on her sunrise walk. The weather radar failed us this time. I thought we had enough time to take a short walk, but the rain started almost immediately. Dawn did her business in a hurry and we headed back to the house.

I didn't want to risk getting wet again, so I went mall walking after breakfast instead of walking in the park. The temperature was nice and cool, but the skies looked ominous. I was surprised at how crowded the mall was today. At first glance you would have thought the stores were open. There were a lot more families with children today. I guess when the kids can't play outside on a rainy day, you take them to the mall. I walked an extra lap around the mall this morning because we didn't get our sunrise walk. One way or another, I was going to get my steps.

I'm starting to see some of the same people every Sunday. It's the same way when I walk in the park. I guess everybody has their regular routines. Some people walk around the mall in a clockwise direction while others go counterclockwise. This direction never seems to change. I'm a clockwise person myself. I wonder when the Christmas displays will start to appear. Christmas merchandise is already out at Walmart and Sam's Club. It looks like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are all happening at the same time.

The rain was basically over by the time I returned home, so Dawn got her Sunday outing anyway. It was pleasant outside, even though the ground was a little wet. Dawn enjoyed her walk, but she still doesn't ride well in the car. I don't think we'll ever be able to take her on a car trip. She does calm down when we get to the ice cream store though. I think Dawn likes ice cream even more than we do.

I washed the car this afternoon. I thought a heavy rain might clean it off on the way to the mall, but a light rain just got it muddy. My office is always a perpetual mess, but I do like a clean car. It seems like I'm always washing the car even though I don't drive much.

There's a new update for the star tracker available, but I didn't feel like dealing with it today. I have spent far more time updating this thing and installing new firmware than actually using it. Maybe someday. I'm still fascinated by astrophotography, but I can't imagine spending much time outside at night in Dallas. The few times I've gone outside to observe something I'm usually interrupted by multiple police cars racing down our street in pursuit of bad guys. Our own neighborhood is relatively safe, but this street appears to be a superhighway to high crime areas. 

It doesn't look like we are going to make it to the fair this year. Sometimes going to the fair seems like a fun thing to do. This year we had no interest. I don't think we missed much. Neither of us like fair food and yesterday there was an active shooter scare that had everyone running for the exits. One of the reasons I like going to Kennedy Space Center is that everyone has to go through a background check to get their credentials. I feel very safe wandering around the space center. Not so much here in Dallas.

I need to make an appointment to see the eye doctor next week. It doesn't seems like a year since my last visit, but here we are again. I"m dreading this visit because I know the doctor will want to schedule cataract surgery almost immediately. I can tell my cataracts have gotten worse this year. I'm sure the doctor will know too.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4678

We got a late start this morning. The sun was already up when we took our sunrise walk. There's a lot of Fall color in the trees now. It won't be long before I'll be raking leaves again. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, but it was certainly nice today. I wish our Fall weather lasted a little longer. It's my favorite time of year.  

After our regular Saturday breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast I did my grocery shopping. I continue to be amazed by current prices. Many items are literally double what they cost several years ago. You wonder how long this can continue? I'll have to admit that I've never really understood the wage/price spiral. Prices go up and then wages go up to compensate, so you are always more or less in the same place. What is the point? I do understand that if something is genuinely rare or scarce, the price would realistically be higher, but we have an abundance of most things. Life would certainly be easier if everything had an intrinsic value that stayed the same.

After I completed my shopping, I came home and checked my messages before heading for the gym. Nothing from NASA or the Space Force. There is still no firm schedule for the Falcon Heavy launch. It doesn't really matter, since I can't afford to go to two launches in a single month anyway. There are never many people at the gym on Saturday. There were only three other people on the floor when I arrived. I like a huge, empty gym. I can't imagine going someplace that it crowded all the time. I still shot free throws on the basketball court and walked two miles on the indoor track, but I've added the vibration plate to my routine as well. I've convinced myself that this thing will improve bone density.

I had to go back to one of the stores I was at earlier this morning because I forgot something. This happens more than I'd like to admit. Luckily the store was on the way home from the gym, so the extra trip was no trouble. We got such a late start today that I didn't even attempt to do anything else when I returned from the gym. I took a nap and as always, Dawn immediately left the room and went to her dog bed in the kitchen. I wish I could ask this dog what she was thinking. This behavior still seems very strange to me.

I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. We could use the rain but it is inconvenient. We wouldn't be able to take Dawn on her Sunday outing and it will be more trouble for me to take a long walk as well. I can always go mall walking at Northpark, but I don't even like to drive in the rain. Such trivial problems I have. 

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4677

It's that time of year. The furnace came on this morning for the first time this season. This afternoon the air conditioner came on. This happens every year. We go back and forth like this for a while while the seasons sort themselves out. Even though it still gets warm later in the day, you can tell the days are getting cooler. It was chilly on our sunrise walk with Dawn today. I had a jacket on, but I wished I'd worn long pants.

I didn't even think about going to the gym today because it was quite nice outside. I got started on my long walk right after breakfast and ended up getting a surprise. I saw one of the eagles again. I'd heard the eagles were back in the area, but this was the first time I've seen one this year. I suspect that these are the same eagles that made a home in the park last year, but I'm just guessing. Now that I think about it, the eagles arrived about this same time last year and started making their nest a few months later. We'll see if they attempt to make another nest. They weren't very lucky last year when they built their nest in a dead tree and a limb broke off and destroyed it.

The Double-Crested Cormorants are back as well. All we need are a few more Canadian Geese and the lake's winter waterfowl will be in place. I'm looking forward to winter walks. You don't have to worry about snakes and the mosquitos subside as well. Winter walks are better unless it is snowing. I've got plenty of warm coats but there is only so much you can take off in the summer.

I was wrong about shoddy road construction in the area. I've been reading about the aphid infestation and it turns out that the aphids love pecan trees. Sure enough, the sticky areas on the roads are all directly under pecan trees. It wasn't road tar coming to the surface I was seeing, it was aphid poop dripping from the pecan trees. They call the stuff honeydew but it's still aphid poop. There must be millions of the little critters in the area this year because the sticky stuff is everywhere. The aphid infestation might also explain why we've been having problems with ants this Fall. Ants apparently love to eat the honeydew and our neighbors have a large pecan tree right next to our house. I hate to even think what the roof looks like right now.

I watched the reentry and recovery of the Crew-4 capsule on NASA TV this afternoon. It still amazes me how accurate they can be with these rockets. The Dragon capsule landed exactly where it was supposed to and the recovery ship was right there waiting for them. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised by this. Last week we managed to score a direct hit on a small asteroid and knocked it out of orbit. Orbital mechanics has always been a mystery to me. Isaac Newton formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation that make space navigation possible hundreds of years ago and I'm still sitting here counting my steps. I guess that's why I'm a writer. I was always terrible at math.

It's hard to believe it's the middle of the month already. Time flies as you grow older. I'm sure Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas will all just go by in a blur. Today was grocery day for Janet and tomorrow is grocery day for me. I wonder how expensive things will be this week? We are living in a dystopian world where absolutely nothing is getting easier or less expensive. I'm glad I grew up and spent my working years when times were a lot better.

Abby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4676

It's feeling like Ground Hog Day again. Every day seems exactly the same. I have no one to blame but myself since I have no real desire to change. I did try to change things up a bit by going back to the gym this morning instead of walking in the park again. The gym is pretty much the same as well. I always have the same routine even if there are dozens of machines I have never tried. All I can say is that it's a good thing I handle boredom well.

The park was quiet this morning. There seems to be a lot more activity on the weekends. I'm always surprised that so many people do things together before the sun comes up. Some run in groups and cyclists often ride in groups. I have trouble just getting up in the morning. I'd never be organized enough to join a group activity before I've had breakfast. All this is just idle speculation though. I tend to avoid group activities at any time of day.

I've been wondering why the grass and other plants have been so sticky this Fall. Even the roads under trees are getting sticky. It turns out that we have an infestation of aphids in Dallas. The clear, sticky liquid if basically aphid poop. I wish I hadn't learned this because it is kind of gross. The stuff is not harmful to dogs or humans, but it can kill plants. The plants are having a tough time this Fall. First it was the little green web worms and now it's the aphids.

I was terrible on the basketball court when I was at the gym this morning. I wonder why I am so inconsistent? I've been shooting free throws at this gym for so many years now that I should have perfected the process by now. Shooting baskets is basically just hand eye coordination. I must not be terribly coordinated because I'm all over the place. On a good day I can sink seven or eight baskets in a row. On a bad day all I do is embarrass myself. I used the vibration plate again today. It doesn't even seem like exercise, but if it can help improve my bone density, it's worth spending ten minutes on the machine. I still don't like the drive, but going to the gym was a nice change of pace. I didn't have to walk through any aphid poop either.

It's surprising how many launches I get approved for at Kennedy Space Center. I got invited to another launch today. Some of the approvals are automatic and I don't have to apply for credentials. The Space Force is usually a lot more consistent with approvals than NASA. I'm glad they don't check and see whether I actually show up for the launch. If they checked I'd have been crossed off the list by now. I'd really like to go to all of these launches, but I can only afford several trips a year. I'm already looking forward to my next trip. I still feel like a pretend journalist, but I do enjoy the experience.

Dawn's been avoiding me all evening because Janet is out of the house. It's disappointing that we haven't become buddies, but there isn't a lot I can do about the situation. It seems like she ought to be able to tell that I really like dogs. Maybe I look or smell like one of the men who mistreated her. Dawn is probably glad when I go to Florida.

Puppies are today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4675

NASA has finally set a new date for the next Artemis launch attempt, so it's time to make travel arrangements again. I sure wish the process was a little easier. Hotel and airfare prices can differ drastically depending on which day you choose. Sometimes leaving or returning one day earlier or later can double the price of your ticket. Hotels are the same way. As it turned out it was cheaper to stay an extra day in Florida to get a lower airfare.

Since the launch is scheduled for a few minutes after midnight I initially scheduled my departure for the wrong day and had to reschedule everything a few hours later. Jeez. You'd think I'd know how to tell time by now. The Airbnb I like wasn't available, but I was able to book a room at the hotel I usually stay at. The rental car website wasn't working properly today, but I'm pretty sure my car is booked as well. I'll probably have to skip the Falcon Heavy launch at the end of October. These trips have become way too expensive and I can only afford one trip to the space center this Fall

Our day started as usual with a pre-dawn walk with Dawn. We left earlier this morning since Janet has a doctor's appointment. I'm getting used to walking in the dark now, but this won't last long. On November 6 we go back to Standard Time and we'll be walking in daylight again. I keep hearing that congress wants to make Daylight Saving Time permanent next year. Why? I'd rather make Standard Time permanent.

I had a hard time deciding whether to walk in the park or go to the gym today. It was a little too warm for my taste, but I didn't feel like driving. Eventually I decided to take my long walk in the park. The water department was digging up one of the streets in our neighborhood, so I had to take an alternate route to reach the path I usually take. The streets are a mess now. Several years ago the city used a cheap "spray on road" technique to re-pave several streets in the neighborhood and now the tar is leaking to the surface. You have to be careful where you walk because the stuff sticks on your shoes. I made pretty good time today, but by the time I returned I wished I'd gone to the gym instead. Considering how cool it was on our sunrise walk, it got hot outside very quickly. I shouldn't complain though. At least the little green web worms are gone now.

My chore for the day was removing the water that accumulates under the shower tiles. I need to get the shower re-tiled, but it is easier to remove the water every few weeks with a wet-dry vac. I tried to re-seal the tile once, but apparently it didn't work. Several quarts of water can accumulate between the tiles and the shower pan. When it reaches a certain level it starts leaking out the same cracks that let it in. Water is not my friend. I think most of the problems around the house have something to do with water.

Dawn did well at training class this evening. Janet said she is going to graduate to the advanced class next week. I'm surprised at how much Dawn seems to enjoy these classes because she is typically scared of everything. I'm glad Dawn has found something she enjoys. Now I need to do the same.

Kuuipo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4674

We got the day started with another early walk this morning. I'm surprised at how many people are out this early. When we enter the park, we see lots of small lights in the distance. The brighter, fast moving lights are bicycles. The lights that move up and down are usually runners. Runners seems to like wearing little lights on their shoes. If a moving light is low to the ground is is a dog. The dogs often wear glowing LED collars. If someone wears an entire lighted vest, it's almost always an old person. A few people wear no lights at all. These are the ones you've got to watch out for. Especially the stealth bicycles. I don't think anyone would have any problems spotting us in the dark. Janet carries a flashlight and we both wear small lights on the back of our jackets. Dawn has a spiffy green LED collar.

After breakfast I wrote a letter to my sister and took it to the post office on my way to the gym. I always reply to my sister's letters even when I have little to say. We never talk on the phone and have always communicated through letters. I'm pretty sure I have been writing these letters for forty years now.

It was cool enough to take a walk in the park today, but I'm getting bored with these walks. It's nice to have a change of pace. I also enjoy shooting free throws on the basketball court and the indoor track is easier on my feet. If I go to the gym too frequently, I get bored with this as well. I guess I'll keep changing things up. They say variety is good for you. The important thing for me is to keep moving.

I tried a new machine at the gym this morning. It's called a vibration platform and it is designed to improve circulation and increase bone density. I think this machine can do many other things as well, but its ability to increase bone density with regular use was what caught my attention. Brittle bones and falls plague older people and the last thing I want is a broken hip. Improving bone density was one of the reasons I started walking in the first place. We'll see if using the vibration platform helps. I'm not sure how I'll measure any improvements though. My doctor is reluctant to give me any more bone density tests.

Since I went to the gym later today I didn't have to spend as much time doing nothing this afternoon. There are plenty of projects I could start around the house, but I'm doing my best to avoid them. Painting and sheetrock repairs are messy and I'm not terribly good at either of these activities. I'm not good at stopping roof leaks either, even though I've spent twenty years trying. I'm certainly as good as the roofers I've hired over the years. They haven't done a good job either. What can I say. I used to be a regular Mr. Fix-it around the house, but I've totally lost interest. Living in a little room at the Astronomer's Lodge sounds pretty good to me now.

Dawn still leaves the room every time I want to take a nap in the bedroom. She's fine about sharing the bed if Janet is in the room, but is still wary of me if we are alone in the house. I don't think this behavior is going to change, although Janet thinks the solution is for her to go on another cruise and leave me here with Dawn for two weeks. You know what they say about old dogs and new tricks. I'm very reluctant to do anything new myself. Why should I expect Dawn to be any different. 

Katy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4673

Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day? To me it's just another day when we don't get any mail. There's growing evidence that the Vikings were the first Europeans to set foot in North America anyway. I wonder why holidays like this even matter to people. Humans have been displacing other humans since the dawn of time. The European colonialists were certainly no saints, but neither were the people who lived here before they arrived. The Aztecs were just as warlike and murderous as the Spaniards who conquered them. I'm surprised that our species has survived as long as it has. We really don't deserve this planet.

We have returned to walking in the dark. I don't know why we still treat Monday thru Friday as work days since we are both retired. Old habits die hard I guess. Dawn has no problem with walking in the dark. I still worry about bumping into a coyote though. A beautiful full Hunter's Moon was low in the Western sky and Mars was directly overhead this morning. Jupiter seems to have disappeared in the pre-dawn sky. It's an evening planet now. I'm not a morning person, but I enjoy our sunrise walks. It's still quiet and peaceful outside. Later in the day all you hear are police sirens and the leaf blowers and mowers of countless lawn care companies. The hustle and bustle of the city makes me nostalgic for the isolation I enjoy during my stays at McDonald Observatory. Silence is my friend.

I took my long walk after breakfast this morning. The temperature warmed up much faster than I expected and I was hot by the time I returned home. I noticed that a female Muscovy Duck has joined the two large males I see every day on my walks. I hope she's careful. These two males killed the last female who joined them. They say Muscovy Ducks are friendly and make good pets. I certainly wouldn't want these two as pets. They are almost as mean as the Canadian Geese.

I kind of miss all the construction that was going on in the park this summer. It gave me something to think about other than counting ducks. There are so many specialized skills in the construction trades. I wonder where you learn these things? I'm old and I still don't have any idea how to lay concrete or frame a house. Truthfully, I can't even fix a running toilet. I guess writing is a skill, but I never trained to be a writer. My professional life has been largely accidental.

I need a plan for the afternoons. I'm usually pretty busy in the mornings, but I typically run out of steam right after lunch. There are so many things that no longer interest me. My storage unit is filled with prior interests and obsessions. When did these interests die? It's been a very gradual process. Oh, well. At least I still like dogs and rocket launches.

Neo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4672

I went mall walking again today even though the weather was beautiful. I've done a lot of walking in the park this week and I guess I just needed a change of pace. It's interesting that some stores never change their window displays, while others always change them. I wonder if it makes any difference? Several stores have closed since I last visited and one new one has opened. 

I don't understand current styles at all. Most of the clothing on display looks ugly. Mall walking is surprisingly popular. On most Sundays there seem to be more people walking at the mall than I see walking in the park. Northpark is very pleasant when the stores are closed. I avoid the place when the stores are open though. It is far too crowded for my taste.

We got started on our sunrise walk so late this morning that we didn't need our flashlights and lighted dog collars. The park is usually busier on weekends, but it was fairly quiet today. Most of the green web worms are gone now. Now that I know what to look for, it's amazing how many trees they destroyed. The city recently mowed the meadow behind our house, so it was easier to get down to the lake this week. Although our walks are always the same, I almost always see something new. Today I noticed that a for lease sign on one of the houses on our street was gone. The sign had been there quite a while and I wondered if the place was finally rented or the owners just gave up and ended their listing? 

After I returned from the mall, we took Dawn on her Sunday outing. The weather was cool enough that we were able to give Dawn another one mile walk before we went for ice cream. There is lots of poison ivy in Dawn's Sunday park, so we have to watch where we walk. There is a lot of construction going on as well. I have no idea what the city is building but it certainly looks expensive. Janet uses these walks to work on Dawn's training. I'm just trying to get a few more steps.

It still bothers me that our ice cream cones have gotten smaller while the price has become more expensive. There is no ice cream inside the cone at all. Just a scoop on top. You'd think they could manage to fill the cone up. Oh, well. We still like to support local businesses. Expensive ice cream is still better than no ice cream at all.

Although I was busy this morning, I did virtually nothing this afternoon. There are still lots of things that need to be done around the house, but they didn't need to be done today. I haven't been up on the roof in a long time. It is probably filled with pecans that have fallen from the neighbor's tree. I should clean things up before it rains again, but I've become wary about climbing on the roof. This isn't a good activity for someone who is starting to have balance issues.

I still need to get my car serviced. I'll probably wait until I see whether I'm been credentialed for the Falcon Heavy launch. The dryer is definitely going to need to be repaired sometime soon as well. I hate having to budget expenses. I never used to do this when I was working. Oh, well. Welcome to retirement. 

Maverick is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4671

Shopping isn't easy anymore. I had to go to four different grocery stores to find the things on my list. There was nothing exotic or rare that I was trying to find. It was just ordinary stuff. I had trouble finding shredded wheat. I had even more trouble finding distilled water for the coffee maker. I needed dishwasher detergent. Most stores just had pods. I needed the liquid kind. Same thing with Swiffer dusters. Lots of places had the wet dusters but I wanted the dry variety. 

I think the problem is two-fold. There are still supply chain issues for many common items. The real problem is how stores restock inventory though. Increasingly stores use register receipts to determine what goes on the shelves. If not many people are buying a certain item it gets discontinued. That's why all the stores had plenty of sugar coated mini-shedded wheat, but very few still carry plain shredded wheat. Variety is disappearing from many stores. People like cheap stuff, so there is lots of cheap stuff. There are actually lots of expensive status items too. What's missing these days are the plain, practical items that were commonplace twenty years ago. 

I eventually found everything I needed but it took longer than expected. When I leave the house these days, I feel like I'm entering a dystopian world. Traffic is terrible and nobody knows how to drive anymore. There is an explosion of people making u-turns in the city. You really have to watch when making a turn at an intersection. Somebody making an unexpected, and often illegal u-turn can wind up right in your lane as you are turning. Stores rarely have exactly what you need anymore. I guess that's why Amazon is so popular. At any rate, I'm glad I do this only once a week. Traffic isn't as bad when I go to the gym because I almost always go during the day when most people are at work.

The weather was nice today. It was cloudy most of the day and there was a nice breeze. Even though I didn't get my shopping done until well after noon, it was still cool enough to take a walk in the park. The temperature was in the 70's all day. If this pleasant weather continues next week, I may mow the grass again. It's finally getting cool enough that this might be the last time I need to mow. My pace was just average today. It wasn't too fast and wasn't too slow. I did get a lot of steps though. I had a rare 22,000 step day. This is probably why my feet hurt today. It's probably time to retire my worn out Hokas and start using the new pair I bought recently. Walking a little less wouldn't be a bad idea either.

We're having more power outages now. These outages usually only last a few seconds, but sometimes they happen several times a day. The short outages knock out the Internet and cause all the networked items to reboot. Like the bad traffic and empty store shelves, these power outages are just another sign of the times.  Our power grid is no longer up to the job. A huge number of people have moved to Dallas recently and they use a lot of electricity. These newcomers also probably explain the surge in u-turns on our roads.

Today was a pretty good day. The weather was perfect. I managed to stay active without doing any household chores. Dawn was a little friendlier toward me and we has a delicious dinner of Maryland Crab Cakes and bacon wrapped asparagus. Tomorrow is Dawn's day. Hopefully we will have a nice Sunday outing.

Madison is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4670

Today was uneventful for me, but it is Dawn's favorite day. Janet does her grocery shopping on Friday and Dawn loves to supervise in the kitchen while she puts all the food away. All I have to do is tell Dawn that it's "grocery day" and she gets all excited.

We started the day with our usual sunrise walk. We got started a little later this morning so it wasn't quite as dark. Unfortunately, the days keep getting shorter. The sun was already up when we did this walk in the summer. Today a few stars were still shining at 6:45 AM. 

The weather was cool and there was a nice breeze, so I decided to walk in the park again instead of going to the gym. I've definitely had better days. My pace was slower this morning and I felt tired when I returned home. I have no idea why my performance varies so much from day to day. Maybe I didn't get enough sleep last night.

I decided to apply for credentials to attend the next Falcon Heavy launch. The timing isn't ideal, since the USSF-44 Mission is supposed to take place at the end of October, only a month away from the next Artemis attempt. I attended the last Falcon Heavy launch three years ago and always wanted to see another. I'm not sure I can afford two trips to Florida so close together, but we'll see what happens. When I apply for press credentials, I'm never sure if I'll get approved.

I'm thinking about getting a new phone. My old phone works just fine, but it's hard to ignore all the promotional advertising I get on an almost daily basis from AT&T and T-Mobile. I guess it would be nice to have a better camera. I use my iPhone camera a lot more than my professional cameras. I probably wouldn't get the new iPhone 14. An iPhone 13 on sale sounds a lot more attractive. Maybe I won't get anything at all. I always think about buying stuff I don't need when I get bored.

Dawn is still leaving the room when I want to take a nap during the day. This is unfortunate, because I enjoy taking a good nap. I feel guilty when Dawn leaves the room though. It is her room. She spends most of the day in the bedroom and it's the one room in the house where she feels completely comfortable. I'm just going to have to get used to the fact that Dawn was treated very badly by men when she was used as a breeding dog. She has had a hard life and there's no particular reason why she should trust me. 

The failing dryer belt seems to be getting worse. I was hoping that it would last for a while, but I'll probably have to call the appliance repairman again soon. I'm really tired of things breaking or wearing out. Something around the house always seems to be on its last legs. I need to take my car in for a service appointment pretty soon as well. It's always something. I'd much rather spend my money on trips to the space center.

Tomorrow is my grocery day. Dawn is not nearly as excited when I return with groceries. I tend to get unexciting things like bottled water and laundry detergent. Janet brings sliced turkey and cheese.

Harshey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4669

We had to get up really early this morning so we could walk Dawn before I had to take Janet down to Baylor. The park was empty and felt a little ominous  in the dark. The sky did lighten up a bit before we returned home and Dawn had a nice walk. I'll be glad when the time changes next month. I'm not really wild about walking in the dark.

There was a lot of road construction this morning, but we made it to the hospital on time. We've made this drive many times for a wide variety of check-ups and exams. Sometimes Janet drives me and other times I drive her. Our doctors really frown on driving yourself if you need anesthesia.

By the time I finished fixing breakfast and checking my messages it was time to go pick up Janet again. I was supposed to call the nurse when I arrived so they could bring Janet out to the car. It's been so long since I've used the phone in the car that I forgot how to make a call. I couldn't figure out why nobody heard me when I dialed the number. I completely forgot that the phone is paired with the car and that I needed to press the green call button on my steering wheel to connect the call. I eventually just turned the car off and made the call normally on my phone. I felt foolish later in the day when it finally occurred to me what was going on. 

It warmed up quickly today, so I decided to go to the gym instead of walking in the park. I was terrible on the basketball court for no apparent reason. The place was really empty when I arrived. There were only two other people in the entire gym, I walked two miles on the indoor track, eventually completed my 25 baskets from the free throw line and went home. I wish the gym was a little closer to home, but I can't imagine going somewhere else at this point. I've been coming here a long time. I'm pretty sure that I've outlasted all the staff. There was a completely different set of trainers and therapists here when I first joined.

A Space X launch got scrubbed today with only 30 seconds left on the countdown clock. I'm glad I didn't go down to Florida for that one. I'm still planning to return for the next Artemis launch attempt, but have no idea when that will be. It's a shame that they haven't set a date for the launch yet, because Southwest Airlines is having a great sale. There is no point in getting a ticket now and changing the reservation later. I would end up paying whatever current prices were after the sale was over and probably wouldn't save anything. The only way you can get a good deal on airline prices is if your plans never change.

The star tracker project that I backed on Kickstarter has finally arrived in retail stores. Some of the backers who still haven't received their Polaris units aren't very happy about this. I received my Polaris quite a while ago, but the little tracker still seems like a work in progress. Every time I turn it on I'm never sure if it is going to work. I'll have to admit that I did get a good deal though. The current retail price is almost double what I paid.

I've taken this week's trash out to the curb. Jupiter is rising in the evening sky now. It doesn't seem that long ago that it was setting in the morning sky. Light pollution is so bad in Dallas that the only objects worth looking at are bright planets and the moon. I've never seen the milky way from my back yard. This would seem like a good reason to plan another trip out to McDonald Observatory but I really hate that drive. I'll probably go back to Florida first.

Cassie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4668

I surprised myself with how much I got done today. I took care of a bunch of small, insignificant chores that I'd been ignoring for far too long. I cleared away the spiderwebs that have been collecting under the eaves. I cleaned the living room windows. I watered the plants inside the atrium which is actually harder than it sounds. I cleaned the toilet. I did a load of laundry. And finally I vacuumed all the carpeted rooms in the house. The house still looks about the same, but all these things really did need to be done.

There was still plenty of time for walking. We got a later start on our sunrise walk today so it wasn't quite as dark outside. It wasn't quite as cold either, although I still needed a light jacket. After breakfast I took my long walk and actually made pretty good time. I've done this walk so many times now that I can pretty accurately guess what my time will be at each mile marker. I'm only off by four or five seconds these days. I can usually tell how fast I'm going by the sound of my footsteps. It's amazing that my brain can do all these little calculations while I'm just daydreaming. Truthfully, the walk isn't that interesting anymore, but I burn a lot more calories walking outdoors than I do at the gym.

I was out walking in the park when the Crew 5 mission launched and I didn't really care. I watched a replay of the launch on my computer later in the day. I have attended a number of manned launched down at Kennedy Space Center and they are all more or less the same. A few hours before the launch the astronauts get in Teslas and drive out to the launch pad. Sometimes I've been invited to watch the astronauts leave the iconic NASA crew quarters and say goodbye to their families but other times I've been excluded from this small group. Everyone sets up their cameras near the countdown clock and waits for the launch and then ten minutes later it is all over. Actually you get a lot better view of things watching the Space X live stream, but it is still nice to be there in person.

Dawn still doesn't like to nap with me. Whenever I come in the bedroom during the day, Dawn leaves the room and goes out to her dog bed in the kitchen. I'm sure Dawn has her reasons, but this just seems rude to me. If Janet is home Dawn is much nicer to me, but she is uncomfortable being in the house alone with me. Oh, well. It is what it is. Strangely, when I vacuumed the bedroom this afternoon, Dawn stayed on the bed. She didn't mind the vacuum at all. She just doesn't like sharing the bed with me during the day. Nighttime is fine. I often wake up with Dawn right next to me. All this seems very strange, but no stranger than most aspects of modern life. It's a weird world we live in these days.

We've got to get up extra early tomorrow morning. I need to drive Janet down to Baylor for some medical tests. There should still be time to give Dawn her sunrise walk, but it depends on how organized we are. It doesn't matter if it's dark outside. We are prepared with plenty of lights now. Dawn even has a spiffy new green lighted collar now. 

Lightning is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4667

Dawn got a bath today. That was about the only noteworthy thing that happened all day. Our sunrise walk was earlier this morning because Janet had places to go. We're well equipped with lights now on these dark pre-dawn walks. Dawn has a little light that clips to her harness and Janet and I have lights that clip to our jackets. These lights aren't to help us see better in the darkness. They are so other people can see us. We are much more worried about getting run over by cyclists than encountering coyotes.

When we returned home I has my usual breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit and then took a walk in the park. I thought it was going to be chilly, but it warms up quickly once the sun comes up. These walks are boring now, but so is walking around the indoor track at the gym. I'm determined to keep moving because all I'd probably do if I stayed home is take a long nap. Although my feet bothered my quite a bit today, I was able to complete my full six mile route.

The refrigerator and washer are still working fine. I can't decide whether to go ahead and fix the dryer before taking my car in for service. I might as well get one or even both of these tasks out of the way before I start planning another trip to Florida. I don't think another Artemis launch attempt is planned until late November, so I've got some time. 

Janet and I took Dawn to a self bathe place after lunch. Dawn doesn't like a bath but she's better about the ordeal than some of our other dogs. I didn't think she really needed a bath but I'll have to admit that she does look cleaner now. Unless she rolls in something nasty, I think she's safe for another month.

I wish I lived closer to the space center. There was an interesting ULA launch today and the Crew 5 mission to the International Space Station launches tomorrow. I think there's another Starlink launch tomorrow as well. Some of the launch photographers I've met go to every single one of these launches. I'm lucky to attend two launches a year. These trips usually last three or four days and it's just too expensive to travel to Titusville more often.

I have no plans for tomorrow. I should find a good book to read but I have little interest in reading these days. I'll probably watch a livestream of the Crew 5 launch and wonder why I'm not down there with everyone else. Maybe something interesting will happen. I doubt it though.

Jersey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4666

The refrigerator is working properly again. I was amazed at how quickly the metal exterior cooled down after the compressor fan was installed. Hopefully the compressor wasn't damaged by running too hot for over a month. We'll see. The technician fixed the in-door water dispenser too. We seldom use this, but it's nice to have it if we need it. Several years ago we read a report that city water in our part of town was contaminated and we've been drinking bottled water ever since. I imagine the water supply problem was fixed a long time ago, but I'll stick with the bottled water.

I was thinking about just getting a new dryer instead of replacing the failing belt drive. Then I checked washer and dryer prices. Like everything else, dryers have gotten much more expensive. I thought that dryers were still the least expensive major appliance. Not anymore.  Oh, well. I guess I'll fix the dryer next month. I've spent enough on repairs this month.

The weather continues to be near perfect. I had to wear a warmer jacket on our sunrise walk with Dawn because the temperature was only in the mis-50's. Sadly, the web worms haven't completely gone away. I found a few on my clothing when we returned home this morning. The park is very quiet on Monday morning. I wonder if anyone works on Monday anymore? The before work runners and cyclists don't start appearing until Tuesday morning. 

Since I had to wait around for the appliance repairman this morning I didn't take a walk in the park. After the repairs were finished I went to the bank and then to the gym. Janet doesn't like me in the house while she's cleaning, so this worked out well for everyone. I wonder how my gym stays in business. It's a huge facility and there are always only a small handful of people there when I go for workouts. Maybe the place fills up before and after work, but it was just about empty at 2 PM.

I took my iPhone case apart and cleaned it this afternoon. The case is supposed to be completely sealed against the elements, so I can't figure out how so much gunk gets inside. The phone doesn't work any better, but the screen is much clearer now. I wonder if it's time to get a new phone. There's nothing wrong with my SE but it is so old now that it won't run IOS 16. Since I can't upgrade the phone, I can't upgrade my watch either. Apple used to be a lot better at supporting older equipment. Now they just don't care. 

Janet wanted me to test some batteries for her today. I know I have a battery tester somewhere, but I had no luck in finding it. This happens a lot lately. I'll look for something in the last place I remember storing it and all I'll find is a stack of junk piled on top of other junk. Where did all this stuff come from. I used to be so neat and orderly. Now I need to go buy a new battery tester but there is no longer a Fry's Electronics store in our town. Fry's is where I always used to go for this type of stuff. Just about all my go-to stores have disappeared. You've got to order things on Amazon now.

I don't have any plans for tomorrow but you can probably guess what I'll be doing. I really need to find a few new interests.

Hobbs is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4665

I did a lot of walking today. 20,000 step days are becoming increasing rare, but I had another one today. The weather was just about perfect and I certainly didn't have anything better to do. There was no need to go mall walking this morning. It was much nicer to be outside.

We had to share the trails with a bunch of runners on our sunrise walk. A local running group was having a race. We probably should have started our walk earlier, but we typically walk later on weekends. Even though we are both retired, we still seem to differentiate between weekdays and weekends. Walking with Dawn is much more enjoyable when the park is empty. She loves to smell things and will wander right in front of passing runners and bicycles if we aren't watching carefully. Janet ordered some little clip-on lights so bicycles won't run over us when we are walking in the dark. Neither of us are a big fan of bicycles.

The park was more enjoyable when I took my long walk after breakfast. The runners were gone and all that was left of the race were a few volunteers cleaning up. Surprisingly, my feet didn't hurt very bad today. I maintained a fairly good pace for my entire walk. I'm still having problems with seasonal allergies, but they weren't as bad today. The air was clean and the humidity was much lower than it was a month ago. I can tell the humidity is lower because I don't have to empty the dehumidifier as often. During the summer I had to empty the water bucket twice a day. Now it takes the entire day to fill with water.

Dawn got a nice Sunday outing today. Since the temperature was cool all day we were able to walk a full mile at her Sunday park. Dawn likes to eat grass and we've had to be careful and keep her away from tall grass in these parks lately. The city has been trying to eradicate the Johnson Grass that has overrun the native prairies in the area and they've been selectively applying herbicide to the Johnson Grass. When I first started seeing the tractors applying the herbicide, I thought they would kill everything. Whatever they are using appears to be very selective. Only the Johnson Grass appears to be dying.

After we made our trip to the ice cream store and headed home, I tested the washing machine. I'm happy to report that is is working normally again. Even the clothes seem to be a little cleaner. The only downside to cleaning out the drain filter is that the machine drains more rapidly now. Sometimes the floor drain overflows now and I've had to plug it again. I stuff a cloth down the floor drain pipe so that condensation from the AC can still drip through the pipe, while backflow from the washing machine drain is greatly reduced. I wouldn't have these problems if the builders of this house had put in three inch drain lines instead of two inch pipes. A two inch drain is just too small for modern appliances.

Dawn is still weird about being in the house with me when Janet is gone. When I try to take a nap in the bedroom, she hops off the bed and goes out to the hallway by the front door and whines until I leave the room. I've started napping on the couch in the living room because it just makes life easier. I don't think Dawn is ever going to change. She is nervous about everything and doesn't feel safe when Janet isn't around. When Janet is here, Dawn actually seems to like me. I'm OK with all this. Dawn had a very rough life before we adopted her. I'm sure she has a doggie version of PTSD.

Tomorrow the appliance repairman returns to fix the refrigerator. This is basically preventative maintenance since the refrigerator works just fine now. The warm to the touch metal exterior is a bad sign though. If we don't replace the fan that cools the compressor, it could fail at any time. It could still fail even with a new fan, but I'd like to keep this thing running as long as possible. Modern refrigerators keep getting larger and it is almost impossible to find a replacement that will fit into the designated refrigerator slot in our kitchen.

I didn't see any little green web worms today. I did see a lot of dead Hackberry trees in the park though. Maybe the worms have finally eaten their way through their food supply and died.

Bailey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4664

One down, two to go. The repairman came out today and fixed the washing machine. At least I think it is fixed. The drain filter was clogged with debris and after it was cleaned out, water drained from the machine at a much faster rate. I think everything is fine, but I'll do a load of laundry tomorrow just to make sure. If there are any problems, the repairman is coming back on Monday. I've still got the refrigerator and the dryer to fix. A fan has broken on the refrigerator which is causing the compressor to overheat. I was wondering why parts of the exterior were warm to the touch. Evidently the entire refrigerator is acting like a heat sink to dissipate the heat from the compressor. The funny noise the dryer is making is caused by a failing belt drive. Janet says it would be cheaper just to replace these appliances. She's probably right.

We had a pleasant sunrise walk with Dawn this morning. It was only 54 degrees when we woke up. I actually should have worn a warmer jacket. It was definitely chilly outside. I'm finally learning which trees to avoid in the park now. The little green web worms are everywhere. I wonder why they are so bad this year? I've seen these things before, but this time it's different. It feels like we have a major infestation of these things.

I feel like I spent most of the day waiting for the appliance repairman. He actually came to the house twice. The second trip was necessary because he forgot a tool that he needed. The repairman told me that many washing machines have a convent access panel that makes it easy for users to clean out the drain filter. Not my machine. You have to tear apart the entire machine to gain access to the hidden filter. They couldn't have made it any more difficult to service if they tried. Maybe I won't have to do this again. The machine is fairly old and I don't recall ever cleaning this filter before. The dog hair alone that this machine has seen over the years is probably enough to clog anything.

I did get my grocery shopping done today, but I spent so much time waiting for the repairman that there wasn't time to go to the gym or take a long walk. I did manage to get at least 10,000 steps though by taking a short sunset walk after dinner. I don't know why I've become obsessed with getting my steps. I walk when I travel. I walk on rainy days. I even walk when I'm feeling sick. Occasionally I am able to rack up over 20,000 steps in a day, but 10,000 steps is my minimum. I think one of the days when I was hospitalized at Baylor was the last time I missed this daily goal. I've almost completed a full year of 10,000 step days with at least fifty 20,000 step days. Who knows if this is the secret to health and longevity, but I prefer to think that it makes a difference.

Hard to believe it's October already. Where has this year gone? I don't think I've accomplished anything signifiant this year but I do keep moving. I don't think Artemis is going to be ready to launch again until late November. This gives me something to plan for.

Tori is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day