Day 4855

What a difference a day makes. The park was empty today and all signs of yesterdays celebrations were gone. I'll have to give people credit this year. Everyone seemed to have done a great job cleaning up their mess. In prior years I'm seen the park totally trashed on the day after Easter. This year all trash was neatly bagged and placed in or near trash receptacles. By the time I took my walk this morning, collection crews were already hauling the trash away.

I didn't expect much to happen today and it didn't. We took Dawn on her early walk, I ate breakfast, made the bed, checked my messages for the illusive accreditation notice I've been waiting for, and then got ready for my long walk.

Last year I watched an old stone building in the park being restored. Over the weekend it looks like someone lost control of their car and it smashed into the building and destroyed one of the stone walls. The building is in ruins again. I wonder how long it will take to restore the building again. It took years to fix it the first time.

The lake seems kind of empty now. The White Pelicans, the Double Crested Cormorants, and even the gulls have all disappeared. There don't even seem to be many Mallards left. When the migratory birds leave they aren't replaced by a new batch of Summer birds. A few Great Egrets and Blue Herons remain, but the only birds I saw on the water today were Coots. Don't worry. I'm not becoming a birder. There's just not a lot going on in the park.

I'm surprised I haven't heard from the roofers. I was almost certain they'd be wanting to get started on the roof replacement by now. As much as I want to avoid this project, I may need to call them. The sooner the roof gets fixed, the sooner we can deal with the rest of the house. I think I'll wait to call until I've heard about accreditation for the April 18th Falcon Heavy launch. I should have heard something by now, since the launch takes place next week. I guess I'll go to the launch even if I get notified at the last minute. It's irritating not to be able to plan ahead though. Maybe this is a sign that I need to think about scaling back my launch coverage plans. I spend way too much time fretting about this stuff.

We stopped Dawn's pain medication today and she still seems fine. There are no signs of discomfort at all. We may never know if her problems were caused by the bulging disc in her neck or the shoulder tear. Maybe it was a combination of both. Now that she seems strong again it's going to be harder than every to keep her from jumping. Every time she jumps down from the bed or a chair, I worry that she will land wrong and injure herself again. To Dawn's credit, she is learning to use her step though. At least she uses it when we're watching her.

I have no plans at all for tomorrow. I guess that's OK. I had no plans for today and everything worked out fine.

Apollo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4854 - Easter

For the past week or so I've been seeing a group of photographers with cameras pointed up at a tree when we walked Dawn in the morning. Today curiosity got the best of me and I went down to the tree to investigate. There was a nest with baby owls. There are lots of owls living in the park. I hear them almost every day. This was the second time I've seen baby owls near our house. These looked fairly young. I think it will be a while before they fly.

There are always a ton of people in the park on Easter Sunday. It is a popular place to have an Easter picnic. Today the weather was perfect. The temperature was in the low seventies with light clouds overhead. No matter how long you were outside there was no chance of getting sunburned. Hispanic families had huge extended family gatherings, complete with tents, tables, folding chairs, and games for the kids. Black families came to barbecue. Many brought elaborate smokers and portable barbecue pits with them on trailers. Whatever they were cooking smelled really good. I saw one family boiling crawfish in a huge aluminum pot. I'm just guessing, but I suspect they were from Louisiana. Everyone looked like they were having a good time. I didn't see any egg hunts this year. Probably the cost of eggs has gotten too high.

I did a lot of walking today and got over 21,000 steps. Surprisingly, my feet held up better than expected. After I took my long walk through the throng of park picnickers, Janet and I took Dawn on her Sunday outing. She had lots of energy and enjoyed her Sunday walk. There were lots of people having picnics in this park as well. Probably every park in town was full of picnickers today. 

Luckily, the ice cream store was open today, so we all got ice cream cones on the way home. Dawn loves going to the ice cream store. She doesn't ride well in the car, but having ice cream always calms her down.  Having ice cream cones on Sunday has become a nice little tradition for us. When the weather is bad, you can tell that Dawn really misses her outing.

Our own Easter dinner was delicious. We had spiral cut ham, green bean casserole, loaded baked potatoes, and baked apples, along with pecan pie for dessert. Thanksgiving and Easter are the only times we overeat. Hey, you've got to pig out every once in a while. There will be lots of leftovers too. I love a good ham sandwich.

It was a good day. Finding the baby owls on Easter seemed like a symbol of rebirth and new life. Even though I'm not as religious as Janet, Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays. It always seems to be a happy and optimistic day. Tomorrow life returns to normal. I'll have my shredded wheat and fruit for breakfast, take my walk, and fret about why I haven't received any notification from NASA about launch credentials. I'm really glad Dawn seems healthy again. We were very worried about her.

Livy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4853

Another grocery shopping Saturday is in the books. The stores were really busy today. Everyone must have been picking up food for their Easter dinner. Not me. I was just following my usual list, picking up unappetizing items like Swiffer Sweepers and paper towels. Janet had a Honeybaked Ham gift card, so we'll be having a spiral cut ham for our Easter meal, along with enough side dishes to use up the card. I wonder how ham because a traditional Easter dish while Turkey is featured on Thanksgiving? I've always heard the term "Christmas Goose," but I've never eaten a goose in my life. I don't think I'd want to since I've grown fond of the geese I see everyday at the park.

It was overcast for most of the day, but quite warm. Dawn got a nice early walk and then we had our big weekend breakfast. After I finished shopping and filled the car with gas I took my long walk in the park. I was unusually slow today but I don't know why. I wasn't tired and it didn't feel like I was walking slow. Sometimes I think my Fitbit lies.

Most of the early Spring wildflowers are blooming now. The flowers appeared later than they did last year,  but they're all here. I'm even seeing a few Monarch butterflies. I see lots of people planting things in their yards and the landscaping crews are busy. I think Winter is officially over. Let's hope our mild Spring weather sticks around for a while. Pretty soon it's going to be hot again and my long walks are going to be miserable.

It's a good thing I didn't go mall walking today. The entire mall was evacuated due to some unspecified threat at the Nordstrom store. The threat turned out to be unsubstantiated, but it was just another reminder that we live in a large city. I actually think this happened once before at Northpark. The mall is back open again, so I'll be mall walking tomorrow morning. It's just a shame that these type of things happen so often. In the world we live in, a mall evacuation doesn't even seem that strange.

I wish I'd hear something about the April launches I've applied to attend. Some of these take place soon and I still haven't heard anything. Oh, well. I guess I just have to learn to be patient. I always seem to receive notification with just enough time to make last minute reservations. I'll probably never get a good deal on airfare or hotels, but I've always managed to find a place to stay. If I don't get approved for anything, I'm going to wish I'd planned a trip out to McDonald Observatory instead. It's definitely time for some kind of trip.

Dawn will get her Sunday outing tomorrow, but I'm not sure if the ice cream store is open on Easter. If the store is closed, we'll give her a little ice cream at home. I won't be mall walking tomorrow because Easter is one of the few times during the year that the mall is closed. I hope everyone has a happy Easter and gives some thought to the significance of the day.

Cooper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4852

I'm beginning to realize why I used to collect things. When I collected watches I was always looking for interesting and affordable old watches. I did a lot of reasearch and bought watches from all over the world. I read books on how to repair watches and began to accumulate watch repair tools. My interest in watches even led to having several watch brands and retailers as clients. All this kept me busy, but how many watches do you really need? I just wear an Apple watch now.

I've had similar experiences with collecting other things. I collected model trains and construction equipment for a while. I can't even remember how I became interested in this, but there were little brass trains all over the house for many years. I never built a model railroad or joined a club. I just liked the way these precise little models looked. They were art. I remember the best models were made in Japan and Korea. 

When I was young and living in Seattle I  collected art. I went to gallery openings and was always on the lookout for up and coming artists. I didn't spend much but I did have a good eye. I was surprised decades later to discover that some of the things I had acquired in my 20's were worth a lot. Eventually I sold everything at an auction house in New York and I haven't been interested in art since.

Collecting things was kind of like a perpetual treasure hunt. I didn't need any of these things and eventually began to wonder what I was doing with this stuff. It wasn't the stuff that mattered, it was the process of finding it. You read books to collect knowledge. You travel to collect experiences. I think a lot of photography is just collecting memories. Collecting things is a way of learning. Maybe I need something new to collect.

There was certainly nothing new today. I did exactly the same things I did yesterday and the day before. I don't really get bored because my mind wanders a lot. I'm always wondering about things while I walk and spend a lot of time at the computer going down rabbit holes on the Internet. If I lived in Florida I'd spend a lot more time chasing rockets. Probably attending launches is just another way of collecting things. Just like watches or model trains, each launch is very similar. There is just enough difference to keep you wanting to see one more. Hopefully, I will get approved to attend a few launches toward the end of this month. I'm certainly not collecting anything else these days.

We've almost stopped worrying about Dawn. The swelling in her neck is gone and her front legs don't seem shaky anymore. We'll keep the step at the foot of the bed and try our best to keep her from jumping. It was frightening to see her start to stumble and fall. I've always worried more about our dogs health than my own, but health issues are always on the table. Sickness can come out of nowhere and it makes you quickly realize how fragile life is.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4851

It felt like Winter again today. How is this even possible? A week ago it was 90 degrees outside and now I'm wearing my down jacket and gloves again. This month every day brings something new. You never know what to expect. I'll take the cold over rain any day though. I've got plenty of warm coats.

The launch I applied for yesterday has already been postponed. Something mechanically is wrong with the rocket and a new launch date has not been announced yet. This is why it is so hard to plan these trips to Kennedy Space Center. Even when I do manage to secure press credentials, the launch itself is never certain. I've made several trips where the launch was canceled after I arrived and I ended up seeing nothing. Much more common is a one day delay. I've experienced a lot of those. You've got to stay flexible and hope you can extend all your reservations.

Dawn enjoyed her early walk this morning, but I can't says the same for my long walk later in the day. I waited a while to leave the house, hoping it would get warmer, but it never did. I guess today wasn't any colder than your average day in early January, but this is April. Winter is supposed to be over by mid April. I really doubt that we will get another hard freeze, but forty-five degrees with a brisk wind still feels like Winter.

After I returned from my chilly long walk, I basically did nothing for the rest of the day. Janet likes to watch movies, but I rarely do. I haven't picked up a book in a while either. Sometimes I test cameras and other equipment. Other times I do a load of laundry. Mostly I just waste time on the Internet. I catch up on the day's news on Google and check my Facebook feed. Neither of these activities gives me a lot of faith in the direction the world is headed. It's probably not surprising that I've spent a lot of time messing with the Polaris star tracker. It has been challenging to master this device since there is no instruction manual and it is still potentially useful in the future. It keeps me busy. The star tracker seems to have replaced the interest I once had for mechanical watches.

I wonder how much longer I can keep using this computer. It's a Mid 2010 27-inch iMac and can't be updated anymore. Almost every day I discover something new that isn't working the way it used to. The hardware seems to work fine, but the Apple operating system, browsers, and even mail have changed a lot. Website developers have changed the way they code things and I frequently find that windows won't open or pages won't scroll properly. Sometimes my WiFi connection disappears completely and I have to reboot the computer to restore it. Oddly I still have no desire to replace the computer. I liked the way the Internet and computers were in 2010. The bulky old Mac desktops I used before 2010 were even better. I had one with four hard drives, two Apple superdrives, and a modded CPU that was great. I think I detect a theme here. I just don't like change.

I think Dawn has a hard time with change as well. She spent so many years as a breeding dog in a puppy mill run by two old men that I'm probably always going to seem like a kennel attendant to her. In her mind Janet will always be the person who rescued her and I am Janet's assistant. I'm good for walks and fixing dinner, but she will never completely trust me. It's a shame that she doesn't trust me since we spend most of the day together in the house. Dawn has her room in the bedroom and I have mine in the office. She will follow me out to the back yard when she needs to pee and she always eats the meals I fix, but I can see a huge difference as soon as Janet comes home. She instantly becomes a happy dog again.

Sam is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4850

Some really loud thunder woke us up last night. The lightning flashes were quite bright and even Dawn, who isn't scared of storms, seemed alarmed. From the sound of rain hitting the roof, I was prepared for roof leaks to start any minute, but the storm was over as quickly as it started. We went back to sleep and by the time we got up, the ground was almost dry again. The roof never leaked.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Dawn got her early walk at the normal time and I had my regular weekday breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit. It actually felt colder than it did yesterday because there was quite a bit of wind. Not a bad day though. Any rainy day where the roof doesn't leak is fine by me.

I applied with the Space Force to cover another April launch today. This military mission will be one of the last remaining Delta-IV Heavy launches, since this vehicle is being retired. I'd like to see one of these rare launches before this rocket disappears entirely. I don't know what I'll do if all my applications get approved. I can't afford to go to all of them. Nothing ventured, nothing gained though. There's a good chance that at least one application will be rejected, Several of the April launches are very close together, so I'd probably only need to make one trip to Florida. We'll see what happens. It wouldn't be the end of the world if nothing gets approved.

It's probably time to start going back to the gym again, since my daily long walks are getting really boring.  Every day is exactly the same. The walk has become so predictable that I can guess my time within a few seconds at just about any location. It's clear that I'm not the only one with a predictable schedule because I pass a lot of the same people every day. Many of these people are walking their dogs. It would be nice if Dawn would walk with me sometimes, but she'll never go anywhere without Janet. All things considered, it's better that I walk alone.

I keep reading that artificial intelligence is going to replace us all. This might have worried me when I was younger, but it's hard to care now. I've already been replaced by younger humans. They say that artificial intelligence applications like Chat GPT are well suited for advertising copywriting. I'm not surprised. Copywriting never seemed to require a lot of intelligence. That's probably why I was good at it. I don't know what I would choose as an occupation if I were young today. In high school I thought I was going to be a physicist. In college I chose to be an architect. Despite the best of intentions, I wound up in the advertising industry. Go figure.

Janet said Dawn did well in training class tonight. She's currently the only dog in class wearing a harness instead of the required prong collar. Dawn has a doctor's excuse though, so everything's OK. Hopefully everything will remain OK for the rest of the week. We're going to discontinue Dawn pain medication soon because she is doing so well on a minimal dose. There is no rain in the forecast for tomorrow but that doesn't mean much. I'm sure it will rain again soon.

Angel is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4849

Another slow day. A few things got done, but not very much. I had a telephone meeting with my financial advisor this afternoon. These meetings used to happen more frequently, but I don't have much to say anymore. The market goes up and the market goes down. You really can't outsmart it indefinitely. I basically just wished the guy luck. I certainly don't think I could make better financial decisions on my own.

I got a message from my accountant that he'd finished doing my taxes and they've been filed. I think I lead a simple life, but my tax return always looks complicated to me. At least taxes are done for another year. Now the only thing on my to-do list is renewing my driver's license. It's kind of depressing that I'm not making money anymore, but I had some good years. Things could be a lot worse. I need to remember that I'm not in debt or losing a lot.

The weather continues to baffle me. I was surprised at how cold it was this morning since the temperature was over 90 degrees yesterday. It warmed up later, but I had to wear a jacket on our early walk with Dawn. The day was kind of dismal. It looked like it was going to rain all day, although it never did. There is more rain in the forecast late tonight. Luckily there are no severe weather warnings.

I tried again to find out whether I've been credentialed to cover the upcoming Viasat 3 Americas launch. No luck so far. The friends I wrote in Florida haven't heard anything yet either. I guess I'm just going to have to live with last minute notices and higher airfares. I did receive a notice from the National Reconnaissance Office asking me if I'd like to attend a pre-launch Media Day for the NROL-68 mission. Sure. I'd like to go to all these things. It's just a shame that travel is becoming so expensive.

At least walks in the park are still free. I hope these walks are doing me some good, because they are becoming boring. I could always walk somewhere else, but that would involve getting in the car and driving somewhere. It's so much easier to just head out the back door. I walk the same route every day and usually see the same ducks and geese. A lot of times I see the same people too, although I don't know who they are. I guess a lot of people like to exercise in the park.

I think Dawn is back to normal. She hasn't fallen or appeared to be in any discomfort for over a week. We're going to discontinue her remaining medication in a few days an see if that makes any difference. We're trying real hard to keep her from jumping, but that's hard to do with a Dalmatian. At least she's getting better at using her step to get on and off the bed. We all continue to take things one day at a time. Luckily, most of the days are good.

Dottie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4848

The weather continues to follow its unpredictable ways. It was over 90 degrees this afternoon. Yikes. That just doesn't seem right. Even though there were clear skies for most of the day, we are under another severe weather alert. It's supposed to start raining pretty hard in about an hour from now.

I tried to finish mowing today but the mower's battery died again before I could complete the back yard. I can't decide whether to replace the 24 volt batteries or replace the entire mower. Mowing the grass is one of my least favorite things, but it is good exercise and I still don't like the idea of paying a lawn service. At least our yard is small. Pushing the mower still feels tiring although it doesn't take all that long. I'll charge up the mower again and finish the rest tomorrow.

It was too hot to give Dawn an afternoon walk, but she did get a nice early morning walk. It's hard to keep her from eating grass in the park. I don't know if this is a nervous habit or if she really likes the taste. Sometimes she gets a blade of grass stuck in her throat and starts coughing. Usually a drink of water solves the problem but she doesn't seem to understand that eating grass is a bad idea. I guess it could be worse. Petey, one of our earlier Dalmatians, was obsessed with eating other dog's poop.

I went to the bank and then came home and paid the early April bills on my computer. After the mower died and put an end to my lawn care efforts I did a load of wash. Next came the day's real chore: a long walk in 90 degree weather. I completed my six mile route and even managed to get over 20,000 steps today but it was an effort. How did I do this last summer? I guess I was younger then.

All the White Pelicans in the park are gone. Their numbers have been decreasing for over a week, but I didn't see a single bird today. It seems like they stayed a little longer last year, but it's been a warm Winter. The birds spend the summer in North and South Dakota and then return the following Winter. They've been doing this for as long as I can remember. I think birds are a lot more predictable than people.

I've been wondering why I haven't heard anything about my credential request for some upcoming launches at Kennedy Space Center. Today I discovered that my only media contact at Space X no longer works there. Now who do I ask about Space X launches? People move around a lot these days. My contact list is basically worthless. Every time I try to contact someone, they are no longer there. Hopefully I will still get credentialed, but you never know. 

Nothing is very predictable anymore. In the time it has taken me to write seven paragraphs, tonight's severe weather alert has expired and the storm headed our way don't look nearly as bad. I think we're still going to get some heavy rain but we'll have to wait and see. I don't have a lot of faith in the weather forecast anymore. Whatever happens, we still need to get Dawn outside and pee before we go to bed.

Lexi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4847

We had a little bit of everything today. There were clear skies this morning and we were under a tornado watch this evening. I walked indoors at the mall and Dawn got a nice walk outdoors when we resumed her regular Sunday outing. I even mowed the grass today, although that was somewhat of a failure. It's time to replace the mower batteries again.

There were few signs that we were going to have nasty weather later in the day when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk this morning. It just felt like a nice Spring day. Janet had to help evaluate a dog this morning, so I had my weekday breakfast of shredded wheat and berries while Dawn pouted in the bedroom. I told Dawn that she was still going to get her outing later, but I don't think she believed me.

After breakfast I went mall walking. I'm always surprised at how many things change week-to-week at the mall. New stores open and others close on a regular basis. There's certainly a lot of activity. Some stores change their window displays every single week, while others haven't changed anything in several years. I still have no desire to buy anything, but it's a pleasant experience to do my five laps around the mall perimeter. This is as close as I need to get to the rest of society.

I wasn't sure that Dawn was strong enough to take her regular walk at her Sunday park, but she was full of energy today. She did well. We're reduced her meds to a minimal dose and she still doesn't seem to be in any pain. Dawn hasn't fallen or stumbled in almost a week. These are all good signs, but we are still a bit cautious. Right now it seem like the muscle tear in her shoulder was the cause of the falls instead of the bulging disc in her neck. Either way, we still need to keep her quiet for a while longer. Dalmatians are so full of energy that they are often their own worst enemy when they are trying to heal.

I really need to find someone to mow the lawn for me instead of continually trying to keep our old mower running. Lawn care prices have always seemed high to me and we have a small yard, so I keep thinking that I can do it myself. Pushing the mower is getting harder though. Oh, well. At least I made an attempt today. I'll finish things up when the weather turns nice again.

I was a bit surprised to be under a severe weather alert this evening. The weather had been nice for most of the day, so this kind of came out of left field. Luckily the storm wasn't as bad in our part of town as the Weather Channel had been predicting. We got about ten minutes of very heavy rain and that was it. There was no hail and definitely no tornado. I think other parts of the state did get tornados though. It's that time of year.

I had to pick up a prescription this afternoon and once again discovered that GoodRx had much better prices than my Part-D prescription drug plan. I'm still not sure how GoodRx actually works. It's not a drug plan and you don't pay anything to use the app. Today I paid about a third of what I would have paid using my Part-D plan. The Part-D prescription drug plan prices are considerably less than retail as well. If there is so much flexibility in drug prices, why don't the pharmaceutical companies just charge less in the first place? It would be tempting to just drop my Part-D coverage, but I suspect that GoodRx only covers certain drugs. I have a feeling that a lot of expensive cancer drugs or the Sovaldi I had to take for Hepatitis-C wouldn't be listed on the app at all. 

I need to pick up my unsold gear at the music store this week and decide what to do about my broken large format printer. It would be nice if I'd hear something about my credential status from Space X, but I'm not holding my breath. They'll probably wait until the last minute to send out notices again. At least Dawn is getting better and we weren't hit by a tornado tonight. Everything else will eventually work itself out.

Miracle is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4846 - April Fools Day

Another normal Saturday. We got up about thirty minutes later than we do on weekdays and gave Dawn her morning walk. Dawn is never in a hurry on these walks and loves smelling things. The walk gives me a chance to wake up. I always get to bed late and would welcome a chance to sleep later in the morning. Dawn has her own agenda though. Thankfully, the weather was nice today. I really think Winter is over now. It won't be long before I'm complaining about how hot it is.

I had trouble telling the April Fools posts from the regular posts on Facebook today. The world is so strange these days that almost anything seems plausible. Almost every day I run across something that seems impossibly strange, yet turns out to be true. I guess it doesn't hurt to be skeptical, but life would be a lot easier if you could actually believe what you hear.

My grocery list was small today, but it still took a long time to find everything. The city has definitely changed. The roads never used to be this crowded on weekends. The stores are well stocked, but there doesn't seem to be as much variety. I dutifully pushed my cart around, picked up what I needed, and returned home. I find no joy in shopping anymore, although I did find some Maryland Crab Cakes on sale. I love crab cakes..

I thought about going to the gym this afternoon, but once again it was a lot easier to just walk in the park. The nice weather brought out lots of visitors. I'm still surprised that so many people walk faster than me. I don't think I'm walking slow, but almost everybody passes me. Moms pushing strollers pass me. Old people pass me. Entire families pass me. I'm not really concerned. At least I'm still moving. According to my Fitbit, I'm actually burning quite a few calories.

The new printer keeps getting disconnected from the WiFi network. It probably needs to be moved to a better location, but where would that be? There are no empty spaces left in the house. It wasn't hard to get the printer working again. I just did what I always do. I turned the machine off and then turned it on again.  This seems to fix just about anything.

Dawn seems fine now, although we are still giving her a small amount of Rimadyl. She still seems to favor one paw occasionally, but maybe I'm imagining things. If we can just keep her from jumping on and off the bed I think we'll be OK. We've had so many things go wrong with dogs over the years that it's understandable to worry. They're always getting into trouble.

There's more rain in the forecast tomorrow. I hope that Dawn still gets her Sunday outing, but that depends on the weather. None of us particularly enjoy getting wet.

Haley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4845

I give up on this weather. When I left for my long walk this morning it was warm and the sky was partly cloudy. I could see blue sky. Everything was fine for the first couple of miles and then out of nowhere I heard thunder and some really dark clouds appeared. The clouds were moving pretty fast, but I was hoping that I could make it home before any rain arrived. No such luck. Right after one particularly loud thunder clap, the skies opened up and I got drenched. I was nowhere near a shelter so I got soaked to the bone. The temperature dropped ten degrees almost instantly and I was shivering. Eventually I made it home without being struck by lightning and immediately threw all my clothes in the washer. It was easier to just wash them than attempt to dry them out. I was so wet that it felt like I'd just taken a long, cold shower.

Ten minutes later the rain was gone and the sky was clear and blue again. Very strange. It was really a tiny little thunderstorm, but it was intense. Janet said that she got soaked while she was out grocery shopping too. Later I realized that there had been severe tornados in Arkansas and Tennessee while I was getting wet. I think there were tornados in Iowa and Illinois as well. What happened here was just a minor afterthought in a nationwide bad weather day. Once again Dallas got lucky. I'm still going to be glad when this rainy season is over though. Enough is enough.

Dawn got her early morning walk before the bad weather arrived and she didn't seem particular bothered by all the thunder and lightning. Dawn is scared of just about everything, but she isn't bothered by storms. Oddly, she is terrified of cats. There is an alley cat that has been hanging out near our yard and she won't go outside if the cat is nearby. Dawn can smell a cat long before Janet and I see it. There was a cat on a little trail leading to the park this morning and Dawn wouldn't move until we convinced the cat to move out of the way.

Needless to say, I didn't mow the lawn today. I'd been planning to pay some bills and pick up a prescription at the pharmacy, but I didn't do that either. In my own mind it was a very slow day. A date has been set for several of the launches I want to attend in April, but I haven't received any notification about credentialing yet. Hopefully they won't wait until the last minute to let me know. It's very hard to work out travel details when you only have a few days notice. I guess it wouldn't be the end of the world if I didn't get accepted for these launches, but I would like to go.

I keep getting notices that the operating system on my computers is no longer being supported. Why? I like my computer the way it is now. I have one of the last versions of Adobe Studio and Microsoft Office with a full set of install discs. Everything is subscription based now. I refuse to pay a monthly fee for things I don't use frequently. So what if my computers are basically still living in 2011. It was a good year. Everything I have installed on the desktop and laptop still works and I have no desire to upgrade. I have no desire to get a new car either. The last thing I want is a car where the engine stops every time you pull up to a stop light.

It's hard to believe it will be April tomorrow. Where has this year gone? They say not to believe anything you hear on April Fools Day, but sadly that's true for just about any day these days. 

Smiley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4844

There are critters everywhere this Spring. Last night there was a bunny in the yard when we were taking Dawn out to pee. It took me forever to get the bunny to leave because I didn't want Dawn to get it. Finally, I got it to go out an open gate and then we let Dawn outside. I did close the gate again after the bunny left. 

We've never had a dog with a really strong prey drive, but Dot killed a squirrel once and Gretta killed a bird. Dogs will be dogs. I've always been worried that our dogs would want to tangle with a possum. We see possums in the yard almost every week. There have also been racoons, armidillos, and the ocassional snake. Dawn pretty much ignores the squirrels. There are so many of them that they aren't interesting anymore.

This weather is driving me nuts. It's cold. It's hot. It's wet. It's dry. You never know what to expect. It was really chilly early this morning, but by mid-afternoon it felt like summer. When I wear a jacket on my walks I try to pick something that is easy to take off and tie around my waist. I'm usually cold on the outbound leg of the walk and hot on the return.

I still haven't gotten the grass mowed. My long walk always takes priority and by the time I get home I'm too tired to push the mower. I need to ask my neighbor's landscape crew how much they'd charge to mow my front yard while they are at her house. It's a very small yard and it would only take them a few minutes. Whatever they'd charge, I'd probably think it was too much. I've taken care of the yard for decades and am not used to paying for lawn care. Something's got to change though. I just don't have the energy that I used to.

Yesterday I tripped and fell while I was walking Dawn and now my back hurts along with everything else. Sometime I don't know how I manage to keep walking six miles a day. I've got bad knees, a dislocated shoulder, and some pretty nasty foot pain. I don't think the fall did any damage, but I've really got to watch my balance on uneven ground. Truthfully, I've got to watch my balance walking around the house. This is probably one more reason that it isn't a great idea to go back to the observatory and spend the night outdoors photographing the stars. There are a million ways to fall out there.

Very little happened today. I walked the same route I walk every day and then came home and charged camera batteries and backed up the laptop. There is very little need to back up the laptop since everything gets transferred to the desktop computer anyway. I hate seeing that little message saying "no backups in 208 days" and I guess today was the day to make it go away for a while.

There is more rain in tomorrow's forecast. Hopefully we will be able to get Dawn walked before the rain starts. Hopefully the roof won't leak either. I'll probably miss the rain when the ground is parched and dry this August. Right now I've had enough of the stuff. This has been a very rainy Spring.

Sparky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4843

Where did today go? I don't think I did anything worth mentioning all day. It was too cold to mow the grass and I didn't feel industrious enough to start anything new. I just shuffled through my regular routine and before you know it, the day was over. 

Lately I've been preoccupied with aging equipment. My computers, phones, and watch can't be updated anymore because latest operating systems aren't supported. In prior years this would have been a good excuse to buy something new, but I have no desire for new gadgets anymore. My frustration isn't that the stuff is getting old, it's that Apple doesn't support it anymore. I have no real desire for a new large format printer either, but I hate broken stuff. I feel compelled to fix or replace the broken printer even though I will probably never use it again. I tried to convince myself that I need a large format printer to make huge prints of my rocket and milky way photos, but there is no wall space to hang more pictures. That was used up years ago. It's silly to buy an expensive printer to make three or four prints anyway.

Our pretty Spring weather seems to have disappeared. There was some light rain early this morning and more is on the way tomorrow. This didn't stop me from walking though. Dawn got a nice early morning walk and I took my regular long walk later in the day. I discovered that the photographers I've been seeing weren't looking for the eagles after all. Evidently there was an owl in a nearby tree that had babies recently. I already have pictures of an owl tending babies, so I doubt that I will join the other photographers. Owls are interesting to photograph though and they don't tend to fly away as you approach them.

It's amazing that the days go by so quickly since I basically only do two things each day. I try to walk at least six miles and I write my blog. I know that it's good to have goals but these are kind of silly goals. Why six miles instead of five and what's so special about 5000 days? These activities do provide structure though and they eat up a huge amount of time. I'm not sure what I would do if I didn't walk everyday. I don't really think of the walks as exercise anymore. It's just a way to spend the day.

We thought Dawn was well enough to go back to her training class tonight, but she had to come home early because she seemed to be favoring one of her front legs during an exercise. She seems fine now and seemed fine during the day, but it's really hard to tell how she's really feeling. Dogs hide pain well, especially if the pain is minor. All we can tell is that is walking normally again and the swelling in her neck has subsided. I wish she didn't shake her head so much, but she has always done this and I doubt she's going to stop.

I wish I'd hear something about the April launches I've applied to attend. Sometimes I don't know whether I'm going to get press credentials until a few days before the launch. This means that I never get any bargains on airfare and sometimes it's hard to find a hotel. Covering launches still seems worthwhile though. What else am I going to do with my time?

I hope it doesn't rain much tomorrow. I'm getting so tired of dealing with roof leaks. You're probably equally tired of hearing about them.

Elliott is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4842

Even on days where nothing happens, I still wonder about things. Why are the airwaves filled with commercials from pharmaceutical companies advertising pills with side effects so serious they can kill you? Why do small SUV's from every manufacturer look exactly the same? Why do people stop at McDonalds on the way home from the gym? Who are they kidding? Why are roads perpetually under construction? I could go on and on. The world just doesn't make sense anymore.

I think the secret to good health is as simple as eating fresh healthy food every day and getting lots of exercise, but people continue to spend billions on dubious supplements and weight loss plans. The secret to financial stability is as simple as never spending money you don't have. Credit cards are just an illusion. I don't know the secret to happiness, but I bet it has something to do with following your own internal compass instead of constantly comparing your situation to others around you. It shouldn't matter what others are doing.

This new desire to be part of a hive mind is a curse. I think social media is one of the worst inventions in the history of humanity. It's definitely not making us smarter. Every day I see people walking through the woods in the park with their face glued to their phones. They're not even aware of what is going on around them. The same thing happens when they are in the car. A majority of traffic accidents in the city are caused by people who are texting when they should be watching the road. When I used to hear people talking to themselves, I always though they were mentally ill. Now I know they're just carrying on a conversation using earbuds. Where does this desire to constantly talk to someone else come from? Is it really that bad to be alone with your thoughts?

It's not surprising that I'm not much of a talker. Dawn finds male voices threatening, so she doesn't like to hear from me. Janet thinks I'm too negative, so unless I have something positive to say, she agrees with Dawn. I can spend several days down at Kennedy Space Center without hardly talking to anyone. I still really enjoy the trip though. One of my favorite visits to McDonald Observatory was when I was the only one staying at the Astronomer's Lodge. When you are alone with your thoughts, you aren't really alone at all. Truthfully, I wish I could turn off my thoughts the same way I turn off the TV at night. It would be easier to get to sleep.

Our pleasant weather continues. Dawn loves her early morning walks now and spends even more time smelling things than she did before. Unfortunately, she also loves to eat the new grass that is coming up everywhere. All our Dalmatians have loved to eat grass in the Spring. I had vague thoughts of doing something productive today, but I didn't get very far. I charged up the battery to the lawn mower, but by the time I finished my long walk, I was too tired to mow. I'd better do this tomorrow though. Weeds are starting to grow in the front yard and more rain is on the way later in the week. My little electric mower is not motorized, so it's getting harder to push. Maybe I'm just getting weaker.

The park is looking green and lush now. Pretty soon I'll start seeing baby ducks. I see the Mallards looking for nesting sites now. I'm going to have to start looking out for snakes again. It's getting warm enough for snakes. All is good though. I'm trying to enjoy the Spring weather while it lasts. Aside from the rain, it is the nicest time of year in Texas. I still try to complete my six daily miles in the middle of August, but it's not very fun. Summers in Texas can be brutal.

Doc is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4841

Another day when I didn't really accomplish much. We woke to blue skies again, but surprisingly it was raining again by dinner time. Dawn got a nice walk while the weather was still nice and so did I. It was a bit disorienting to hear thunder late in the day. I wasn't expecting this.

After my usual weekday breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit I wrote a letter to my sister and took it to the post office. Even at odd times during the day the traffic is always heavy now. Even a short trip to the post office can end up being a hassle.

It was starting to get cloudy when I took my long walk, but I definitely wasn't expecting rain. There are still people out looking for the eagles, but I haven't seen them in a long time. I'm also wondering what has happened to our resident geese. Three or four years ago there was a large flock of the honkers. Then the birds moved to the other side of the lake and I only saw ten. I saw the ten geese every single day for a long time and then they began to disappear one by one. Now there are only four. Oddly there are more Muscovy ducks these days. For years there were only two large males. Now there are two females as well, I don't even try to count the Mallards. There must be hundreds of Mallards who call the lake home.

I called the owner of the music store again to see if he had located my equipment. He found a synthesizer and some rack mount gear, but hasn't been able to find a mixer I consigned. When he asked for details about the mixer I wasn't very helpful. I couldn't remember the brand name or even how many channels it had. I think it was British, which means it was probably a Soundcraft or Studiomaster, but I really can't remember. All I remember is that it was housed in a big square brown flight case. We used it briefly with the band I was in, but it was too much trouble to lug around. I'm not sure which is worse: losing the mixer or my memory.

I learned this morning that Miley, the Dalmatian who was in the Paypal ad with me, passed away today. Considering that I'd only really seen the dog once at a photoshoot in San Francisco for the ad, this made me very sad. I've been following Miley's adventures on Facebook for many years and he was a very special dog. RIP Miley. A lot of people will miss you.

Our own Dalmatian continues to get better every day. I hesitate to say that Dawn's troubles are over since a bulging disc in the spine is a serious thing, but she is acting normally again. We have reduced her medication and will discontinue it entirely in a few days. Hopefully Dawn will continue to do fine in the days ahead. Like many Dalmatians she loves to run and jump and this might be her undoing. We've got to convince her that staying calm is for her own good.

It would be nice if I'd hear something about the upcoming launches where I've applied for press credentials. All I know is that they're supposed to take place sometime in April. This is also when the roofers want to start replacing the roof. I definitely don't want to be in Florida when the roofers start tearing off the roof. I don't think I deal well with uncertainty anymore. I'd feel more comfortable if everything was mapped out for the rest of the year and I could just follow a schedule. Actually, working was a lot easier than retirement.

Chloe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4840

Another beautiful day. I hope this weather lasts for a while because it sure is pleasant. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary today, but that's OK. My Sunday routine is fairly relaxing. Dawn got a nice early walk before breakfast and then I got ready to go to the mall and walk some more. This mall is built around a large outdoor courtyard, so you basically walk in a huge half mile circle. I always make five circuits around the perimeter and then I come home. Although I think I'm walking at a brisk pace, I'm always slower than I am in the park. Very little changes from week to week, but it is still interesting to look in the windows. I have no desire to buy anything and actually prefer visiting the mall when the stores are closed.

On the way home from the mall I stopped at the REI store to use a 20% off coupon before it expired. All I got were some socks. How did socks get to be $24 a pair? I used to be able to get a decent pair of pants for that. Not anymore. Most of the pants I saw started at $89. Some brands were over $200. Good thing I don't really need any new clothes.

Dawn seems to have recovered by now, but we are still taking her on shorter walks. We found a new park to take her to on Sundays and she seems to enjoy the variety. I sit in the back seat with her these days so I can hold on to her harness and keep her from falling when we go around corners. Maybe we'll resume our old schedule at some point, but these shorter Sunday outings seem fine for now.

We didn't forget the ice cream. The ice cream store has raised their prices again. This increase isn't a big deal, but it makes you wonder if this is ever going to end. It's been a long time since anyone actually lowered prices. People still seem to be buying though. The mall was packed as opening time approached and even the ice cream store had a line of cars at the drive up window.

The paper ID cards that wound up in the washing machine yesterday seem to have dried out enough to put them back in my wallet. They look a bit wrinkled now, but so do I. Oh, well. The information on the cards is still readable, so I guess we're OK. I think I'll be more careful now about checking my pockets before I do a load of wash. People used to want to see the Medicare cards, proof of insurance cards, and even my gym membership card. Now all this information is on my phone. I probably don't even need a wallet full of paper ID cards.

Although this would have been a perfect day to mow the grass, I didn't do anything productive all day. I took a shower, napped a lot, and kept wondering whether I really need a new printer. I still want to get the large format printer repaired, but it's too heavy for me to move. How did I ever get it into the office in the first place? There are so many things in the office that I don't use anymore, but they remind me of a time when I was super busy. I used all this stuff back in the day. I think I picked a good time to start a business. It wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable now.

Tomorrow it's back to shredded wheat and fruit for breakfast. I need to call the guitar store and check on the missing gear I consigned before Covid hit. I also need to reply to a letter from my sister. I'm sure I'll contemplate future trips I may or may not take. Imaginary travel planning is something I always do.

Bubba is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4839

I hate getting old and forgetful. Today I accidently left my wallet in my pants while I was doing a load of wash and all the paper ID cards inside basicallly disintegrated. Any cards made of plastic were fine, but more things than I thought were made of coated paper. I'm trying to dry this stuff out, but in some cases it's a lost cause. Everything can be replaced, but it's a big hassle and will involve a lot of phone calls. Will I ever do this again? I certainly hope not.

Other than being irrationally fearful, Dawn seems fine now. We've reduced her meds to a minimal dose and will discontinue them entirely in a few days. Dawn seems strong and moves around normally now. The swelling on her neck is gone and her collar fits normally again. If we could just get her to quit shaking her head so much, she might be fine for quite a while. She does have a bulging disc in her neck though, so we need to be careful. Unfortunately it's very hard to tell a Dalmatian to be careful.

I got my grocery shopping done this morning without any problems. I found everything I needed easily and prices seem to have stabilized. The weekend traffic is still horrible, but what else is new? At least the weather was nice today. A beautiful Spring day makes everything a little easier.

Dawn seemed completely normal today, so I felt comfortable leaving her alone in the house while I took my long walk. She wasn't really alone that long because Janet didn't leave the house until I was on my way home. It was easy to get 21,000 steps today because I did a fair amount of walking while I was out grocery shopping. I can't say that I made good time though. I may never make good time on these walks again. My painful feet are really a problem. You've got to keep moving though. I'm convinced that a healthy diet and staying active are the secret to a long life.

The park is really pretty at this time of year. The early wildflowers are in full bloom now and new flowers will be appearing weekly for at least the next month. I keep thinking we're having an early Spring, but really this is just a normal Spring. The flowers always start blooming around this time of year. I wonder if I'll ever see the eagles again? I know they are in the area because the birders have staked out several areas to watch for them. I would never have the patience these guys seem to have. They bring lawn chairs and an array of cameras with long lenses, often waiting for hours for the birds to appear. I just get lucky occasionally when I accidentally happen to be in the right place at the right time.

I had a nice conversation with a neighbor I seldom see while I was out walking today. We both used to play in bands back in the day and chatted about guitars, our dogs, real estate values, and changes in the neighborhood. There have been a lot of changes in the neighborhood. Janet and I have lived here over 35 years and the place has undergone a lot of gentrification. I liked the place a lot better before the park became a popular destination, but I guess you can't stop progress. It's probably a good thing that the neighborhood has become desirable, although I couldn't afford to buy a house here anymore. People definitely aren't trying to escape from this place.

It looks like tomorrow will be another clear Spring day, so Dawn ought to have a nice Sunday outing. I'll go mall walking indoors even though the weather outdoors is just about perfect. Mall walking on Sunday has become part of my regular routine.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day