Day 4806

Dawn had her annual exam today. The lab results haven't come back yet, but it looks like she is in good shape. Dawn, like many Dalmatians, has had problems with crystals in her urine, but hopefully changes in her diet have helped eliminate that problem. The only other problem was her ear. About a month ago we noticed that she had developed a hematoma on her left ear. She shakes her head a lot, which either caused or aggravated the problem. 

The vet recommended a special pet headwrap called the No Flap Ear Wrap that will help the hematoma heal without the need for surgery. The device actually seems to work, although she looks like a little babushka now. Dawn is still shaking her head, but her ears don't flap around any more. Hopefully this will help. I'm not sure how long she will have to wear this contraption, but she seems to tolerate it well. We're not sure why she shakes her head so much. Dash did this too and developed a hematoma as well. It's definitely not an ear infection. Her ears look good..

It took me a while to realize that today was a holiday. I kept wondering why we didn't get any mail and why the park was so full of people. President's Day is kind of a weird holiday, but if you're working and get the day off, I guess you'll take what you can get. Other than Dawn's vet appointment, the day was exactly the same for me. We took Dawn on a sunrise walk, I had my shredded wheat for breakfast, and then I took my long walk.

There was a pretty sunrise and sunset today. I should have taken more pictures. I've spent so many years documenting things in the park a that I'm not very interested anymore. I didn't even take a picture of Dawn at the vet today. I used to do that with Dot and Dash a lot. There's always a phone in my pocket, but I rarely carry a camera with me these days. I used to always carry a little Lumix DMC ZS40 with me. It was about the size of a pack of cigarettes and had a long Leica telephoto lens that collapsed flat when the camera was off. This was the perfect camera to carry while taking long walks in the woods but I can't be bothered anymore. I just spend my walking time daydreaming these days.

I was expecting to hear from the roofer today and was hoping to learn whether I'd been credentialed for the Crew-6 launch as well. I guess nothing happens on holidays. We'll see if anything happens tomorrow. I won't be that disappointed if I don't get credentialed for this launch. Life will be simpler without having to arrange a last minute trip to Florida. Life would be simpler if the roof didn't leak too, but you can't have everything.

I need to remember that it's time for bulky trash pickup this week. There are still leaves that need to be raked in the side yard. Raking leaves is not my favorite activity, but these leaves don't seem to be going anywhere on their own. There have been several really windy days and I was hoping that they would just blow away. No luck there. If anything, more leaves seems to be blowing into the side yard.

It was unseasonably warm today and almost got up to 80 degrees. I think it's supposed to be even warmer tomorrow. That's fine by me. As long as it doesn't rain, the weather can do what it wants.

Odie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4805

Has it already been a week since the Superbowl? Time flies. The football season may be over, but our Sunday was pretty much the same. I woke up wondering why it was so cold outside, we took Dawn on her sunrise walk, and then we had another big weekend breakfast. After I made the bed and checked my messages, I went mall walking again.

Each time I visit Northpark I notice that things have changed. It's a busy place. All the Valentines Day displays are gone now, but no new theme has emerged. I still see raincoats in a lot of windows. Sunday seems to be a day for staff meetings. You often see groups of people in the yet to be opened stores listening to some sort of presentation. In one store these people were all wearing white jumpsuits like they were at a hazmat scene. What was that all about? You see lots of people dusting things with Swiffer dusters. I never realized that retail stores were such a big market for Swiffer. Several stores used to have off-duty policemen sitting inside the store. They are all gone now. Was this a policy change, or is the mall actually safer these days? 

I have my favorite stores now and often think that I would buy my clothes at these places if I were still working in an office. I'd probably change my mind quickly if I actually went inside the stores and checked on the prices. There are no bargains at this mall. Truthfully, the last thing I need are more clothes. There are still things in my closet that I have never worn. Clothes are never a high priority when you work from home. When you retire, clothes become an even lower priority.

Dawn's priority today was her Sunday outing. We were a little late leaving today and she knew it. That dog has an amazing internal clock. She knows when everything is supposed to happen, right down to the minute. You'd better not be late. Especially when it comes to meals. It had warmed up quite a bit by the time we left the house and we all had an enjoyable walk. The ground is finally drying out from our recent rains and our shoes didn't even get muddy today.

There was a line of cars at the ice cream store today. This place advertises it's product as "frozen custard" even though it tastes exactly like ice cream. I've tasted custard before. This stuff is definitely ice cream.  It is more expensive than Dairy Queen, but is still pretty reasonable. Dawn certainly approves.

I didn't do much this afternoon. There are plenty of things that need attention around the house, but I didn't feel like starting anything new. The Crew-6 launch is next Sunday and I still haven't heard anything. This probably means I'm not going. It's no great loss if I don't get credentialed this time although I would like to go. Oh, well. There are still a few day left and plenty of launches in the future. We'll see what happens.

Dawn has her annual exam at the vet tomorrow. We think she's healthy but you never know what's going to turn up in the lab reports. Hopefully this will just be a routine visit.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4804

Another cold, grey day. It was a fairly typical Saturday. We got up a little later than usual, dressed warmly for our early walk with Dawn, and then returned home for a big weekend breakfast. My grocery list was longer today, so shopping took a while. I also had to get gas and pick up a prescription. As usual, I had to visit several stores to find everything. 

Since Janet was going to a charity event this evening, I stopped at my favorite barbecue place to get some ribs for dinner. I like ribs more than she does. There was a banjo orchestra practicing inside the restaurant. Weird. I'd never seen anything like this before. There was a conductor leading about twenty people playing banjos. Everyone was playing different parts and the result was surprisingly good. The owner told me that the group practiced at the restaurant every Saturday morning and that they had a concert once a month. There are so many things in this city that I am totally unaware of. Who would have thought that Dallas had a banjo orchestra.

Today was a lot like yesterday. It looked like it was going to rain but never did. It also never warmed up very much. I had planned to go to the gym today because of the weather, but all the traffic I encountered while grocery shopping made me change my mind. I just don't like being out on the roads anymore. I put on a warm coat and took my long walk. I wasn't very fast today, but it didn't really matter. Once I finished my errands this morning I had nothing to do for the rest of the day.

Dawn seemed upset that Janet wasn't around for dinner. This dog doesn't like surprises. I wanted to take a nap on the bed after my long walk but every time I sat down on the bed, Dawn would leave the room and go out to the kitchen and whine. Eventually I got tired of this and just took a nap on the couch in the living room. I wish Dawn felt more comfortable around me, but it is what it is. For the most part, our life is very predictable and Dawn is fine. She just doesn't like surprises and will probably never be comfortable alone with me.

There were a lot of things I should have done around the house this afternoon, but I wasn't in the mood. I did a load of laundry and called it quits. I felt tired all day because I haven't been sleeping well. My nasal congestion is so bad now that I have to sleep on my back. If I sleep on my side, my nose drips continually. I know I must have gotten some sleep last night but my Fitbit registered nothing. The Apple watch said I got an hour and a half of sleep. Hopefully I will do better tonight.

I wonder when NASA is going to let me know about the Crew-6 launch. It's getting kind of close and I still haven't heard anything. I imagine that if I'm credentialed at the last minute I'll still go, but it sure would be nice if I could plan ahead. I probably shouldn't have applied for credentials for this launch. I didn't realize until after I sent my application in that the launch takes place at 2 AM. I like daytime launches a lot better. Oh, well. We'll see what happens. It's not like I have a lot on my agenda.

Tomorrow I'll go mall walking and we'll take Dawn on her Sunday outing. It's going to be warmer so hopefully the walk will be easier than last week. I'm sure we'll get ice cream cones even though it seems strange to do this in the Winter. Janet won't be home until late tonight so Dawn is still moody. I would have shared my ribs with her but she refused to join me in the kitchen. I guess her loss was my gain.

Bailey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4803

Another very cold morning. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since it is technically the middle of Winter. It's hard to tell what season it is in Texas. It might be cold today, but next Tuesday it is supposed to get up to 80 degrees. Go figure. The cold didn't stop us this morning. We bundled up and took Dawn on her sunrise walk. One benefit of the days starting to get longer is that we aren't walking in the dark as often anymore. The skies were clear this morning and I had hopes that it would warm uyp later in the day. It didn't. It got a little warmer but I was still cold on my long walk.

After breakfast this morning I went to Home Depot and got some spare halogen bulbs for the living room lamps. These bulbs burn hot and don't last very long. I always have to remember to have spares handy. The two lamps in the living room are the only lights in the house that haven't been converted to LED bulbs. I called in a prescription and hoped to pick it up while I was out. The pharmacy said it wouldn't be ready until tomorrow. Sign of the times I guess. Prescription renewals used to be ready in two hours. Now it often takes two days.

Every morning when we walk Dawn I think it's too cold to walk in the park and that I should go to the gym instead. When the time comes, I just put on a warm coat and keep walking in the park. I don't go to the gym as often as I used to mostly because I hate all the traffic. It seems like traffic has doubled in Dallas in recent years. It's not pleasant driving in this city anymore. I'm glad the city was smaller and a little more sane when I had to drive to work everyday. After thirty years of working from home I've totally lost my patience with city traffic.

It's nice living next to a huge and still somewhat wild city park. When I take my long walks it's easy to forget I'm living in a large and very busy city. I do have to watch out for bicycles, but for the most part the park is a very peaceful place. Today a couple stopped me and asked where the eagles were. They seemed disappointed when I told them that I hadn't seen them in several months. It's strange that people have become obsessed with the bald eagles. There are lots of other interesting birds. The white pelicans are almost as large as the eagles and look majestic when flying. The Blue Herons and Great Egrets are pretty spectacular too. My favorites are the Muscovy Ducks. They are kind of ugly but have a lot of personality. I always look for them when I pass Sunset Bay on my walk.

Friday is Dawn's favorite day. She gets all excited when Janet returns with the groceries and starts waiting for the car at the front door up to an hour before she returns. Dawn seems to know that it is Grocery Day as soon as she wakes up on Friday. I don't know how this got to be such a big deal, but as soon as the groceries are in the house Dawn races out to the kitchen and stays with Janet until everything has been put away. Needless to say, she had a good time today.

It's my turn to get groceries tomorrow. We each have different things on our lists and it seems to work out well. I'm getting used to the rising prices, but I can't figure out why a lot of things are in short supply now.  I used to be able to find everything I need at a single store. Now I routinely have to visit several stores. I guess this is the new normal. Truthfully, nothing really returned to normal after Covid. The definition of normal just changed. Was life really easier in the 70's and 80's? It certainly seemed that way to me.

Lexi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4802

Dawn got a bath today. That was probably the big event of the day. Dawn, like most dogs, doesn't really like getting a bath, but she tolerates it. We take her to a neighborhood self-bathe place where there are lots of other dogs and she is always well behaved.

Luckily, last night's severe weather alert never materialized. It didn't even rain. I keep looking at the weather forecast with trepidation. I'd really like it to stay dry for a while. So far, there is no rain in the forecast until next Wednesday with a 30% chance of showers. I can live with that.

It was quite cold today. I didn't dress warmly enough when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk, but I didn't make that mistake again when I took my long walk later in the day. Dawn seems to enjoy the cold. She was full of energy this morning. I definitely wasn't full of energy when I took my long walk, but I did manage to complete my six miles. There weren't a lot of people on the trails today for obvious reasons. There are always a few die-hards like me though. I recognize them now but have no idea who they are.

I had several errands I needed to do today but never got around to doing anything. I need to renew a prescription before it runs out and I need to get a new bulb for one of the living room lamps before it burns out. There are other things that can probably wait until this weekend. At the rate I'm going, I suspect that everything will wait until this weekend.

The only real connection I have to the Space Coast is what I see on Facebook. Almost every day I see cool photos of launches that I missed. There's always a lot going on down at Kennedy Space Center but unfortunately I can only afford to travel to Florida several times a year. I kind of envy the photographers who seem to attend every single launch, but I wonder if I would have their stamina if I actually lived there. I tend to get bored quickly. There are a lot of things that have captured my interest in the past. Most of them are just distant memories now. Realistically, going to a few important launches a year is plenty. They are all more of less the same anyway.

I'm really tired of having a runny nose. I don't do well with decongestants, so I'm blowing my nose constantly. This seems more like seasonal allergies than a cold, but I've had enough. Since this happens every year, you'd think I'd have come up with a solution by now. Nope. So far, I'm just burning through a lot of blue Scott shop towels. At $20 for a six pack, this turns out to be pretty expensive Kleenex.

This week has gone quickly. When I took this week's trash out to the curb this evening, Mars and Jupiter were already low in the Western sky. It seems like they were overhead just a few weeks ago. I wonder what stars will be overhead the next time I'm out at McDonald Observatory. It might be a while.

Joshua is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4801

This is weird. We're under a severe weather alert even though it is currently clear outside and the weather apps on my phone show no chance of rain. I probably spend way too much time fretting about rain, but I just finished cleaning up the house and have cleared all the standing water off the roof. I'm not ready to go through that drill again. 

Today was basically just like yesterday. Not a lot happened. Dawn got her sunrise walk. I got my long walk in the park later in the day, and then spent the rest of my time puttering around the house. It was surprisingly warm today. I almost wore shorts on my walk, but decided against it because of the high winds down by the shoreline. I continue to follow the my familiar route through the park while maintaining my weekday routine at home. I'm really hoping that my request for Crew-6 press credentials comes though because these days are getting a little monotonous even for me. It's time for another trip to Kennedy Space Center.

I think the bald eagles have left the area. There is still a large area that the city has been fenced off near their nest, but it's been several months since I've seen the birds. I wonder where they've gone? It seems strange that they'd go to the trouble to build a large nest and just abandon it. There are still five missing geese as well. I don't think they've moved to another park of the park because I would have seen them by now. I still think somebody ate them.

I paid bills and did my bookkeeping this afternoon. Everything balances, but it took me a while. It seems like I used to be a lot faster at this. I've always used Quickbooks, but now I crosscheck everything with my online statements. If there is a discrepancy it is always a data entry mistake I've made on my end. I don't even know why I do this anymore. The online statements are probably all I need. Force of habit is strong though. There are probably a lot of things I will continue doing whether they make any sense or not.

The roofing company wants to meet with me next week to go over their bid. I'm pretty sure I'll give them the job even though I have no idea if they are any better than other roofing companies I've dealt with. Everyone I've ever used came highly recommended but I've learned that this doesn't guarantee anything. Our house is full of little non-standard quirks that can make a joke out of anyone's bid. Oh, well. I've got to do something. I just wish replacing a flat roof on an architect's unique creation wasn't so expensive. I'd much rather buy a new car.

Janet said Dawn did well at her training class tonight. She's missed several classes due to bad weather and was eager to go tonight. No ribbons this time, but you can't win a ribbon every week. I used to go to these classes when we had Dot and Dash, but there's no point for me to go now. Janet does well training Dawn and Dawn trusts her. Dawn is never going to trust me completely and I wouldn't do well as her handler.

The severe weather alert has almost expired and we still haven't had any rain. That's good news. I have no plans for tomorrow, which means that it will probably be a lot like today. No complaints though. Today was a pretty good day.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4800 - Valentines Day

Only two hundred days to go. I should have established a less ambitious blogging goal back in the beginning, but I still think I can do this. In less than a year I will have written a daily post for 5000 consecutive days.

I wasn't surprised to see the roof start leaking again when we woke up this morning. We got a lot of rain last night. Thunder and lightning woke me up several times and I always got up and checked for leaks. Needless to say, I didn't get a lot of sleep. The leaks didn't start until I was having breakfast this morning but it didn't take long for the water to make a mess of things. We had water running down a wall again, making it impossible to capture in a bucket. Luckily this leak was in a hallway where we have brick floors.

It was still raining early this morning, so Dawn didn't get her usual sunrise walk. We didn't forget her though. When the rain ended, Dawn got a nice walk later in the day. I didn't take my usual long walk because I was too busy dealing with roof leak problems. I did get my 10,000 steps though. Just barely.

All in all the leaks weren't nearly as bad as the previous two rain storms. The pumps on the roof were working well too. When I started seeing clear sky, I climbed up on the roof and swept away the remaining standing water. So far, so good. The leaks have finally stopped and I don't see any more rain in the two week forecast. If the roof gets completely dry again I may try to patch the obvious holes with the remaining Armor Flex silicon coating I have left. I doubt that this will fix the problem, but maybe it will help.

I still haven't gotten an estimate for replacing the roof from the roofing company, but I wasn't expecting anything until the end of the week. Prices were pretty high when I replaced the roof the last time and I expect that they are even worse now. I don't have much of a choice though. You just can't live in a house with leaks all over the place.

Although I had the best of intentions to quit climbing on the roof, it looks like this unpleasant chore is still going to be a part of my future for a while. I'm more careful these days but I'm also more clumsy. I definitely don't want to end my days by falling off a roof. Maybe by Summer we'll have a new roof and I can put this all behind me.

We didn't have our usual Valentines cupcakes this year. Janet had a class this evening and we were both tired anyway. Hopefully tomorrow will just be an ordinary February day. I'd like to hear something about the Crew-6 launch soon so I can make plans, but I'll be happy enough if nothing happens at all tomorrow. As long as the house stays dry, I'm good.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4799

Not a lot happened today. It's a good thing that I have a high tolerance for boredom, because I didn't do anything of consequence all day. I'm actually surprised that the day went so quickly. We got up later than usual so there was no need for flashlights on our early walk with Dawn. No clear blue skies today. The temperature was warm enough, but it was overcast and felt like rain was on the way. It's discouraging to think that the buckets will be back in the house and strategically placed under the leaks again by tomorrow morning.

Dawn expects a piece of shredded wheat when I fix my breakfast now. We have many little rituals and most of them involve food. I was in no hurry to get started this morning because I knew there was nothing on the agenda. I have nobody to blame but myself for this. I'm just not interested in very much these days.

After I checked the mail and looked for nonexistent important messages in my inbox, I got ready for my morning walk. It's hard to decide what to wear on days like these. If I dress for the back yard, I'm cold when I'm walking near the lake, If I dress for the shoreline, I'm hot during the rest of the walk. I should have this figured out by now. I've been walking this same route for years.

When I was walking, someone warned me about a loose pitbull in the park. I said that I knew about the dog and that it belonged to a nearby neighbor. "Oh, dear," said the woman and told me she had already called 311 about the dog. This dog is very sweet and I hope it went back inside before animal control came to pick it up. There are people who think it is perfectly fine to let their dog out to pee without a leash even if they don't have a fence. You can't convince these people that this is dangerous for the dog. 

My pace wasn't that great today and my feet hurt, but I managed to complete my six miles. By my last mile I'm always wondering why I do this everyday. Often my walks are boring. Walking is good exercise but I ought to be able to think of something more interesting to do. I must be a familiar face in the neighborhood by now. A lot of people wave at me, even though I have no idea who they are.

This afternoon I made an appointment to see the dermatologist. I don't really need to see the dermatologist anymore, but I've learned that it's easier to go ahead and make an appointment whenever you get a notice from a doctor. You can't ignore doctors. Once you are on a doctor's list, you're going to be there forever. Maybe I'll ask the dermatologist about my tick bite. Usually I have no reaction to ticks at all, but this time I have a hard lump where the tick bit me. Hopefully it wasn't once of those Lyme Disease ticks.

I spent the afternoon recharging camera and computer batteries and updating the apps on my iPad. My cameras are always ready even though I seldom use them anymore. I do use the camera on my phone though. That's probably reason enough to get a new phone.

Tessa is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4798 - Superbowl Sunday

That was a good game. I wasn't a huge fan of either team, but the game was competitive right down to the final seconds. I do think the best team won. I spent most of my career working in the advertising industry and I'd be the first to admit that I don't understand superbowl commercials anymore. Traditionally, these commercials are supposed to be the best of the best, but they are no longer funny or memorable. There wasn't a Budweiser commercial with Clydesdales and Dalmatians either. I still think Prince and Michael Jackson had the best halftime shows. Rihanna didn't even come close. It was a good game though. Hard to believe that Patrick Mahomes is only 27 years old.

Other than watching more football than I normally do, the rest of my day was pretty normal. We had a nice early morning walk with Dawn, ate a big weekend breakfast, and then I went mall walking. The mall seemed virtually empty today. A lot of the window displays have changed. Several stores seem to be featuring raincoats. I guess this makes sense. It is the rainy season here in Dallas. 

I still walk a lot slower indoors than I do outdoors. It's a mystery. I think I'm walking faster until Fitbit tells me otherwise. I don't spend a lot of time looking in the windows anymore. I've practically memorized everything. Mall walking is still a nice change of pace from my regular walks in the park. I wouldn't do it if the stores were open though. I prefer going to the mall when the stores are closed.

Dawn got her Sunday outing today. She seems to know that this is her day. She gets all excited about 30 minutes before we are ready to leave. You can tell she is excited, but as soon as the car starts she immediately goes into panic mode. I don't think we could ever take a long car trip with Dawn. Dawn doesn't really calm down in the car until she gets her ice cream cone. She's pretty normal after that.

The leaks have stopped. I put all the buckets away today. We've got a reprieve until the next rain storm, but unfortunately there is more rain on the horizon. It's supposed to rain again as soon as next Tuesday or Wednesday. These leaks are getting old. I'm really hoping that the roofing company I contacted gives me a decent bid so we can finally put an end to this madness.

I still haven't heard anything about the Crew-6 launch. I hate waiting until the last minute to learn whether I've been credentialed or not, but there's not much I can do about it. I like to think that the articles I write are of some value, but they're probably not of any consequence. Attending a launch still feels like work though. That's good. I'd hate to think that all I've got left are hobbies.

Tomorrow it's back to shredded wheat for breakfast and more long walks in the park. I should make an effort to add more variety to my life, but I probably won't. I like consistency, as long as we aren't talking about consistent rain. 

Lucy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4797

I found a tick on my leg when I woke up this morning. This doesn't seem to be the right time of year to be on the lookout for ticks, but we live near the park and we have a dog. It goes with the territory. We checked Dawn and couldn't find anything on her. Then we washed all the bedding just to make sure. It was going to be a busy day anyway. This just made it a little busier.

I had a lot on my grocery list this morning, so shopping took a little longer than I expected. As usual the stores and the roads were crowded. Maybe I'm imaging things but it seems like a whole lot more people have moved here in the past year. I don't remember Dallas ever being this crowded before.

Considering how cold it was yesterday, I was surprised at how warm it was today. It was actually a beautiful day. Dawn had an enjoyable early morning walk and then I had a nice longer walk when I finished my grocery shopping. The walk itself was uneventful, but my feet didn't hurt as much today. I have no idea why each day is different, but I'll take what I can get. I only had to wear a light jacket today. What a difference a day makes.

I was tired when I returned from my walk, but I still had work to do. Since the roof wasn't going to stop leaking until I swept away the remaining standing water, I reluctantly climbed up the brick wall and started pushing the big broom that resides permanently on the roof. Within an hour after I finished removing all the standing water, the leaks inside the house stopped. I'm good for now, but there is a 60% chance of rain next Tuesday. It looks like it is going to be a long Winter with lots of leaks because realistically I doubt that a new roof can be installed until April. 

Janet started making the bed when I was out walking, but there was still some bedding in the dryer so I finished things up after I got done with the roof. Dawn was taking her customary afternoon nap but it was surprisingly easy to get her off the bed. All I had to do was lie down on the bed for a few minutes and she left the room. I could see her peeking in the bedroom door occasionally as I put a variety of pillows, blankets and comforters back on the bed. Dawn knew she had been tricked, but she didn't return to the bedroom until I was finished.

I think I can put all the buckets away, but I'll probably leave a few out overnight just in case something starts leaking again. The only other chore I did today was empty out the ice maker in the refrigerator. The ice maker shuts off when the tray is full, but we don't use much ice and the ice in the bucket eventually fuses into a solid block. Sometimes it's almost impossible to even get the ice bucket out of the freezer. I take the bucket outside and chisel the ice block out and then clean the bucket and put it back in the freezer. I've tried turning off the ice maker but that causes even more problems. Water can freeze in the supply line causing the plastic line to split. Evidently this refrigerator was meant for people who use a lot of ice.

It looks like the weather is going to remain nice over the weekend, so Dawn will get her Sunday outing tomorrow. I'll go mall walking as well. Walking in the park is actually better exercise, but I've spent enough time in the park this week. It's time to go look in store windows and ponder how screwed up the world has become.

Lady Gogh is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4796

The roofing guy was nice and seemed knowledgable. He didn't like my idea about going back to a tar and gravel roof, but the solution he proposed seemed reasonable. At first he wanted to put a new roof over the existing roof, but we've already been down that road. I made it clear that I wanted to remove the existing roof material, check to make sure there was no rotted decking, and then apply a completely new roof. Lord knows how much that's going to cost. The guy said he'd have a firm estimate in three or four days. No hurry. I think it would be crazy to do this before it gets warmer anyway. This company came highly recommended, but so did the companies that replaced my roof before. I don't have a lot of faith in roofers.

It was so cold today. This was a total surprise to me, since it was nice yesterday. Dawn seemed fine on her early morning walk, but I made a mental note to dress warmer when I took my long walk a little later. Part of the problem today was the wind. A cold winter wind isn't very pleasant to walk in.

I waited until after the estimator finished his roof inspection to take my long walk. I was thinking that it would get warmer if I waited until later in the day, but actually it seemed to get colder. At least there was no rain. The ducks and geese seemed hungry today and would chase after anyone who came near them at Sunset Bay. I would think it would be pretty miserable to be a duck in the winter, but then I'm not a duck. I'm certainly glad I don't live up North anymore. I have no tolerance for cold weather.

Despite the cold I managed to complete my six miles and get my steps. I'm persistent and it takes a lot to keep me indoors. The walk is getting boring, but I'm a creature of habit. Since the park is huge, I could easily take a different route but I seldom do. I think I follow the same route day after day because it's easy to compare results. I know exactly how long it takes to reach various points along the way on both good and bad days. I'm not a competitive person by nature, but I do compete with myself from time to time. It's always nice to get better at something. Even walking.

I didn't do much this afternoon, but the day still seemed to go quickly. The roof is still leaking a little but I don't hear a lot of dripping water anymore. Probably by tomorrow morning all the leaks will have stopped. Actually I'm surprised that the roof is still leaking at all. It seemed pretty dry when I was up on the roof with the estimator this morning. There is no rain in the immediate future but I'm sure it will rain many times before a new roof can be installed. 

I hope I hear something about my application for Crew-6 credentials soon. Sometimes NASA waits until the last minute to issue credentials and then the airfare to Orlando becomes more expensive. Hotels are often more expensive if I wait until the last minute to book as well. There's nothing I can do about this, so I just wait. Last minute credentialing is no problem for the launch photographers who live in the area. It can be a problem for me though. I wish I could plan ahead.

I do have a plan for tomorrow. It's grocery day for me. If I go to the gym at all, it's usually on Saturday. We'll see how the day goes. Maybe I'll go back tomorrow afternoon and shoot some baskets. I'm getting tired of counting ducks in the park.

Landry is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4795

Another slow day. The roof is still leaking, but the amount of water I'm collecting in the buckets has slowed down considerably. I guess that's progress. If I'm lucky, the leaks will stop just in time for another round of rain. The roofers are coming out again tomorrow. Hopefully I can get a firm estimate soon and get started on putting an end to this mess.

It was a beautiful day today. There wasn't a cloud in the sky this morning and the temperature was much warmer than yesterday. Dawn enjoyed getting her morning walk. The fields behind our house were still a little soggy, but that didn't bother her. She finally had lots of things to smell again.

After breakfast I wrote a letter to my sister and took it to the post office. I do this about once a month now.  I used to write lots of letters to friends, but this type of correspondence is becoming a lost art. Almost nobody writes letters anymore. I still don't leave outgoing mail in our box for the postman to pick up. Force of habit I guess. We never have the same postman for very long and I don't have a lot of faith in any of them. I need to take my mail to the post office and put it in the slot myself.

Today was a good day for a long walk. The weather was nice and the temperature was just about perfect. My feet are still giving me problems, but I'm getting used to the discomfort. I keep thinking that I need to go back to the gym where I can work on my upper body strength as well, but it's so much easier to go walking in the park. I just walk out the back door and I'm there. I'm sure I could be doing more, but six miles a day seems to be more than enough activity for me.

After I returned home I upgraded the star tracker software for what seemed like the 100th time and tested the unit again. That's all I do is continually test this thing. The Polaris tracker still works, but it has never seemed very reliable. Reliability probably isn't even an issue at this point. I don't spend a lot of time looking at the stars these days. It's not even worth attempting astrophotography in the city. The light pollution is terrible. I knew that comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was going to be near Mars tonight but I didn't even bother to look for it. The green comet is fairly dim and I just didn't have the patience to search for a pale fuzzy thing in the sky.

I'm still having computer problems. Nothing is broken, it's just that everything is too old. If I was still working this would be a huge problem. Not an issue anymore. Instead of thinking about a new computer, I spend more time thinking about getting offline altogether. It's becoming harder and harder to see the point of it all. Maybe a little notebook and a ball point pen is all I need.

I've taken the trash out to the curb and emptied all the water buckets. These weeks go quickly, but Spring still seems distant. I'm hoping that the roofing people have good news for me tomorrow, although I'm not terribly optimistic. I wish I'd never bought a house with a flat roof.

Jazz is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4794

When going to the dentist turns out to be the best thing about your day, it's usually a pretty dismal day. The dental hygienist is always very complementary about the way I take care of my teeth. My gums are healthy. There is very little plaque on my teeth and no cavities. One more dental cleaning is in the books. I'll go back for another in August.

It's been raining nonstop for almost 24 hours. Dawn didn't get a morning walk and I almost didn't get an afternoon walk. There are leaks everywhere in the house. I've run out of buckets again. It was raining pretty hard when I drove to the dentist, but by mid-afternoon most of the precipitation had finally moved out of the area. I did get to eventually take a long walk and get my steps, but it was very cold outside. Although the temperature was almost fifty, it felt more like thirty. There was a light mist and a strong wind. Lets just say that it wasn't a very pleasant walk.

The roof leaks are driving me crazy. I never know where the drips are going to occur. This time the leaks appeared in a different location than they did during the ice storm last week. My Fitbit didn't register any sleep at all last night. I know I must have slept, but the dripping water kept waking me up. Every time I heard a new sound I had to get up and investigate. At least this time there has been no water flowing down the walls. Those type of leaks are almost impossible to capture in buckets.

I was the only person on the trails today. I literally did not see anyone else when I was out walking this afternoon. I'll admit that I'm a bit obsessive, but walking gives a structure to my day. The exercise is good for me too. Even the ducks looked miserable on today's walk. I feel sorry for the animals on days like this. They have no place to hide. The geese seemed angry since no one was feeding them. I should have taken them some dried corn or frozen peas. People are always feeding the ducks and geese bread, but that's just about the worst thing you can give them. I just kept moving today. I wanted to get back home where it was warm and relatively dry.

I got a surprise e-mail this morning. The local historical society in a small Pennsylvania town asked me for a copy of a story I'd written about their town many years ago. I'd almost forgotten about the story and no longer had a copy. Why would someone even remember this so many years later? It was thirty years ago. I told the lady that I'd look for the story but I doubt that I'll find it. I remember it was somewhat controversial and I ended up taking it off my website. I don't like controversy and prefer to remain invisible. Lesson learned I guess. This is why I mostly just write about myself these days. 

The rain has moved to the East but the roof is still leaking. I'll have to empty all the buckets before I go to bed tonight and if the weather is nice tomorrow I suspect that I'll have to climb up on the roof and sweep away the standing water. The roofing company did call me today. They want to schedule a time for their flat roof specialist to come out and take a look at things. Maybe if all goes well we can replace this roof in the Spring. Until then, I just hope it quits raining.

Hopefully it will be dry enough to give Dawn a walk in the morning. She didn't get to go to her training class tonight and appears to be getting cabin fever. Although Dawn is basically a lazy dog who spends most of the day on our bed, she does like to go smell things in the park. 

The medical and dental appointments never end. Now the dermatologist wants to see me again. Didn't I just see this guy a little while ago? It appears that doctors want to see you every six months now. This week has gone quickly, but not quickly enough for me. I just want it to be warm and dry again. Hopefully tomorrow will be an improvement.

Taylor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4793

I've been waiting for rain all day. For most of the day there have only been a few sprinkles. That's changing quickly though. Is the roof going to leak again? Probably. I just hate the suspense. I'll probably go to sleep tonight thinking that everything's fine and then wake up in the middle of the night hearing the dreaded dripping sounds I've grown to hate.

Most of my problems today weren't related to water. They were with my computer. The hardware is too old to upgrade to a modern operating system and that means most of my software is not supported anymore. A lot of things still work fine, but if something crashes it's very hard to reinstall it again. I've tried to upgrade my antivirus software, but current versions require a newer system. I've had to quit using Safari because it is considered system software and I'm still running Sierra. I guess I could upgrade to High Sierra which is the last OS that my computer will recognize. High Sierra wouldn't make any difference though. It is still ancient. Basically, when I fire up the computer every morning I'm taken back to 2010. Hey, there's nothing wrong with 2010. It was a good year. A lot has changed though. Especially when it comes to Internet security, WiFi, and how websites function. A lot of websites just won't work with my antique browser and hardware.

Will I give in any buy a new computer and upgrade all my software, or will I just abandon the Internet altogether? It's an open question. Computers were a vital and very essential tool when I was working, but I'm retired now. Basically just about the only thing I use a computer for these days is writing this blog. With my blogging goal less than a year away, we'll just have to see what happens. I still spend a lot of time online, but it is just force of habit. I have a feeling that I could make better use of my time.

Even though it's been a dreary day, Dawn and I both got our walks. It was surprisingly warm today. I only needed a light jacket on my long walk and probably could have gotten away with wearing shorts. I got a little wet on my walk, but the heavy rain is just starting now. I can hear thunder outside so I'd better get the buckets ready. 

I haven't heard anything yet from the flat roof specialist who was supposed to call me. I'm going to remain optimistic for a while, but I have my doubts that this story has a happy ending. When roofing companies take a good look at my problems, most just walk away. I'm so tired of dealing with leaks I could scream. This has to be dealt with though. Will I weather these storms or will I go batshit crazy? Only time will tell.

I've got a dentist appointment tomorrow. That's actually where my computer problems started today. The program I've used for years to remind me of upcoming events crashed and I had trouble reinstalling it. The program has completely disappeared on the app store and I think the company has gone out of business. I'm sure there are similar programs out there, but I liked this one. This isn't the first software that has bit the dust on my computer. It probably won't be the last either. For the moment I just wrote all my appointment information on a piece of paper and put it on the kitchen table where I will see it when I eat breakfast tomorrow.

No wonder I like to go to launches in Florida. It's an imaginary world where none of these problems exist. Reality is an old house, an old car, and an aging body that are all falling apart. I think I'm doing a pretty good job of staying healthy, but long walks won't fix an old house. It's a shame that my carefully curated list of craftsmen have all died or retired. These guys could have fixed anything in this house, but they're all gone now. There's no use crying over spilt milk. I'm already starting to hear dripping water. I'd better get the buckets out.

Stortz is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4792

Where did the day go? I certainly didn't accomplish much today. It was a little chilly outside but there was no rain. It was foggy when we took Dawn on her early morning walk and it was very windy when I took my long walk later in the morning. I was hoping for a warm, clear day, but I'll take what I can get. I'm still dreading the rain that is supposed to start early tomorrow morning.

I didn't realize how addicted I've become to my Fitbit until the app crashed this morning and I couldn't count my steps. I don't know why I even need this thing, especially since I walk the same route every day and know exactly how long it is. The variations in the speed and distance I travel are so small that I can usually guess my pace and the number of steps I've taken at any point in time. All this really proves is that I can take any activity and make it boring.

Against my better judgement I applied for press accreditation to attend the Crew-6 launch. I didn't get accepted as a social media correspondent for this launch, but maybe I'll have better luck as a magazine reporter. The Crew-6 Mission will be exactly like all the other crewed missions I've attended at Kennedy Space Center, but I'd still like to go. Strangely, I feel like I belong when I'm down at a launch. I seldom feel that way in Dallas. It's a shame that Titusville is so far away and travel is so expensive. I'd go to every launch if I could. Kennedy Space Center and McDonald Observatory seem like home to me now. I've published numerous articles about my experiences in both places, but it still seems like a very expensive hobby. Oh, well. There are worse things to waste money on. At least I'm not buying watches or electric trains these days.

I don't know whether I still have seasonal allergies or a persistent cold. I've had a runny nose for weeks now. I don't feel sick, but the constant nasal drip is irritating. I use those heavy duty Scott blue towels as Kleenex now. It's surprising how quickly I can run through a roll. If I forget to put a few Scott towel squares in my pocket when I'm walking, I'm miserable. I wonder how long this is going to last? I'm used to Spring allergies and even Fall allergies, but a runny nose all year long is a little much.

I've noticed that the operating systems I run on my computers are called "antiques" now. Apple stopped updating my version of Safari years ago. This is causing problems since quite a few websites I use have quit working correctly. I can still use the latest version of Firefox for transactions, but Safari is becoming next to useless. I stubbornly refuse to buy a new computer and pay for subscriptions to Photoshop, Microsoft Word and just about anything else that is actually useful. Why can't I keep using Sierra or High Sierra forever? I haven't changed since these operating systems were considered state of the art. If Sierra and earlier Apple operating systems were perfectly good when my business was flourishing, why should I be forced to start over when I'm basically just killing time? This attitude is probably why I no longer have any web development business. I celebrate the old and the obsolete. I like my old computers, my old Nikon film cameras, and I wish I still had my Citroën SM.

I hope that tomorrow's forecast is wrong. Dawn still needs her early walk and I don't relish the idea of driving to the gym in the rain. All the buckets are clean and ready for use, but the thought of dealing with more roof leaks so soon after our last big rain is depressing.

Landry is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4791

It was over seventy degrees today. It's hard to believe that we were freezing last week. We had a nice early walk with Dawn this morning and then came home to an equally nice weekend breakfast. Even though it was a beautiful day outside, I went mall walking. I just wanted a change of pace.

There were a lot fewer people walking at the mall this morning. Maybe they were walking outside today. I made my five circuits of the mall and came home. There was nothing new today. There were no store openings or closings and none of the window displays had changed. Even the restaurants looked empty today. This appears to be one of the few places in Dallas where people still wear masks. I see more people wearing masks at Northpark than anywhere else. I still don't understand today's styles. Younger women all wear their hair long these days. You don't see any of the shorter cuts that used to be popular. Maybe nobody wants to be mistaken for a Karen. A surprising number of men wear beards now. A thick beard combined with a shaved head seems to be popular. When did having a beard become so fashionable? I guess beards are better than fades and man buns though. I show my age. Even tattoos seem weird to me.

When I returned from the mall, Dawn was ready for her Sunday outing. It was a perfect day for a walk and Dawn enjoyed her outing. We often see people riding horses in this park but Dawn totally ignores them. Dalmatians are supposed to have an affinity for horses and many of our previous Dalmatians seemed to like them. Horses mean nothing to Dawn. She gets much more interested when she sees a possum.

I didn't get quite as many steps today but it sure felt like I walked a lot. I still can't figure out why I walk slower at the mall. It's feels like I'm actually walking faster. Since I use a different app to track indoor walks, it occurred to me that maybe the app measures my steps differently. The next time I go mall walking, I'll track my steps as an outdoor walk and see if it makes a difference. Consistency seems to matter to me. At least the ice cream cones we get are consistent. They are overpriced, but they are pretty much the same every week. Dawn certainly likes them.

This afternoon I did a number of small chores around the house. I tried to wash a down jacket and it didn't go as planned. I followed the washing instructions exactly, but the coat was so light that the final spin cycle in the machine wasn't working properly. The coat was sitting in a puddle of water when the load was finished. I had to run the spin cycle again with several towels thrown in the load to get the spin cycle to run properly. The instruction said to throw two clean tennis balls in the dryer with the jacket to get the down filling to fluff up properly. This actually worked pretty well. I also cleaned out the atrium today. I don't know how all the leaves get in there, but they do. I've been waiting for a warm day to attempt to open the broken sliding glass door, since I was afraid I might have trouble closing it again. Everything worked well though. The atrium looks nice now and the door was actually easier to open and close than I expected.

It was largely an uneventful day, but it was a peaceful one. I got some exercise and I got a few things done. That's enough for me. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice as well. I'm dreading the return of rain on Tuesday though. The house is finally dry and the cleanup is complete. I'm not looking forward to going through the whole water leak drill all over again.

Zorro is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4790

Shopping is not a pleasure anymore. Traffic is unreal these days. Even at 10 AM Northwest Highway looked like the worst evening rush hour I've ever experienced. Where are all these people coming from? It feels like the population of Dallas has doubled overnight. Stores are crowded and shelves are empty. I routinely have to go to several stores to find things that I used to find in a single location. Prices keep rising and in an effort for keep prices lower, many stores are replacing familiar national brands with their own private labels. Most of these private label brands seem to be of lower quality. It's sad. As soon as we reset our expectations and learn to accept this new reality, I suspect things will get even worse.

What happened to our ice storm? It's like it never even happened. The weather was nice today. It was much warmer and the ground is almost dry again. We had a great walk with Dawn this morning. She really missed her walks during the storm. I think we're almost back to normal now. I cleaned and put most of the buckets away and did a huge load of wash. It seems like every towel and cleaning cloth we own was put to use when there were leaks everywhere. I thought all the leaks were gone, but after the temperature warmed up a very small leak reappeared in the office. This leak has finally stopped as well, but I'm still leaving a container under it just in case.

The roof estimator wanted to come over a little early, so I postponed my long walk until after he finished looking at things. He seemed a bit overwhelmed by all the problems I was having. The guy was young and I don't think he had dealt with many flat roofs before. He took a lot of pictures and said he was going to confer with someone at the company who had a lot of experience with my type of roof. Later in the day I got a call from someone who seemed to have a wealth of knowledge about anything related to roofing. She didn't even live in Dallas and said she worked with roofing companies all over the country. She seemed to know a lot about my particular roof and had the exact dimensions, even though the guy who came out never took any measurements. She said there is a company that uses satellite and drone imagery to provide this information for roofing companies. Welcome to a new world where practically everything is outsourced. The woman said that she would have a specialist in residential flat roofs contact me next week. So far, so good I guess. This wasn't what I was expecting, but I will say that this company has been very responsive. I'm going to stay optimistic even though there is more rain in the forecast for next week.

My long walk was slow today. I had a lot of foot pain. There's not a lot you can do about osteoarthritis. Bone on bone contact of any nature is going to be painful. They say that a change in diet can slow down the degeneration of cartilage, but it may be too late for that already. I don't know if I could do it anyway. You are supposed to give up alcohol, red meat, cheese and other dairy products, refined carbohydrates and sugar. Jeez. What's left?

I did get my steps today. I've been surprisingly active lately. At least working on the roof had a few benefits. I got 24,000 steps yesterday and 22,000 steps today. Walking is still enjoyable, but it's starting to take a toll on me. I feel quite tired after I finish my long walks these days. I guess that's the point, isn't it? You are supposed to feel tired after exercise. 

It looks like it is going to be nice tomorrow, so Dawn will get her Sunday outing again. I'll probably go mall walking as well. I don't get as many steps when I go walking at the mall, but I need a change of pace from my walks in the park at least once a week. Mall walking when the stores are closed is strangely peaceful.

Duke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day