Day 3985

Good grief. People have started hoarding toilet paper and water again. Last week there were mountains of toilet paper at the grocery store and this week the shelves were completely empty. The water was almost gone as well. Customers were leaving the store with buggies filled with bottled water. Has anything changed? Nope. Stores and restaurants are still full. Roads are still crowded with cars. Apparently mass panic has returned however. People in Dallas may ignore the virus, but they will not be left without toilet paper.

Before starting on my weekly grocery run, we had a nice walk with Dawn and a leisurely breakfast. Neither of us work anymore, but we still sleep in on Saturday like we did during our working years. It was nice to get an extra hour of sleep. There was a light mist when we left the house and I thought it might rain for a while. My jacket felt a little damp when we returned home, but it was just the humidity. I don't think the rain will arrive until tomorrow.

I just noticed that when I get gas now, I get charged an extra dollar on my credit card. When did this start? The mysterious charge isn't added to the gas transaction, it is totally separate. Janet says she gets charged the extra dollar when she gets gas at a grocery store too. I wonder if this has anything to do with using an app to pay for gas? I'll probably never figure out what is going on, but I suspect the charge is here to stay. Somebody in government has decided that they need more money.

I watched the launch of the Sentinel-6 satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base on NASA TV this morning. I remember going to Vandenberg several years ago for the SMAP launch. It seems so long ago now, but that launch was what got me interested in following launches and becoming a space journalist. Like Sentinel-6, SMAP was also a meteorological satellite designed to learn more about the climate. Vandenberg Air Force is located right near the Pacific Ocean and I recognized a lot of the scenery near the base as I watched this morning's broadcast. Good times, even though I had an accident in my rent car on that trip.

I got Chinese take-out for dinner tonight and when I went to pick up my order I was surprised to see that it was completely dark. It is usually still light outside when I pick up take-out from this restaurant. I couldn't figure out what was going on until I realized that this was the first time we'd had Chinese since the time changed. I can't say that I like the shorter days that come with Winter. It should still be daylight at 6 PM.

Florida mosquitoes seem a lot nastier than Texas mosquitoes. It's been almost a week and my bites still itch like crazy. I've been to night launches in Florida before and never gotten bitten this bad. Maybe it was the weather. I was wearing a t-shirt on Sunday night and was always wearing a jacket on previous trips. That's one nice thing about staying out at night in the Davis Mountains. No bugs.

I wish my gym would reopen on weekends. Sunday is still the best day for me to go to the gym. I shouldn't be choosy though. If Covid cases continue to spike, gyms might close down completely again. It is almost inevitable that millions of Thanksgiving dinners are going to cause another surge. No problems here. It's just going to be the two of us, plus one dog eagerly looking for table scraps.

Ranger is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3984

My editor likes the story and photos I submitted. I think my article will appear in the January issue of the magazine. Now it's on to the next adventure. I'd like to attend the static fire test of the Artemis 1 rocket that's scheduled to take place at Stennis Space Center in December, but that will require NASA approval. We'll see what happens. I applied for credentials months ago but almost forgot about it because the Artemis 1 Green Run tests have had many delays. This static fire would have have already taken place if it weren't for the recent Gulf hurricanes that I believe caused some damage to the test stand. Hopefully I will be approved. This is an easy trip that is much less expensive than going to Kennedy Space Center. I could even drive there is I needed to.

The only place I drove today was to the post office. It was time to mail another letter to my sister who refuses to use the Internet. Now that I pay all my bills online, mailing this periodic letter is the only reason I have to go to the post office at all. On the way home I stopped at the smokehouse again and got a small ham for Thanksgiving. Now I know what to ask for. The little hams are called "chops" because they are cut from the end of a larger bone-in ham. The smokehouse uses them to make sandwiches for customers in the restaurant section of the store. At any rate, I now have a holiday ham that is perfect for two people without a lot of leftovers.

I'm having a hard time getting up lately. We walk at the same time every morning, but it seems like I should be sleeping at least an hour longer. You don't keep Janet and Dawn waiting, so I stumbled out the door and woke up along the way. Our Fall colors are already fading. There are lots of leaves on the ground now, and the ones still on the trees are turning brown. I found a few colorful leaves this morning, but even these will be gone soon.

I've stopped looking at Sprinter Van websites. I have no desire to get an RV anymore. Hotels are much nicer. You can take long showers and you don't have to deal with the dreaded black water tank. I'm no longer looking at Ford Bronco sites much either. The new 4x4 is already sold out through the end of 2021. I wonder why I'm still looking at telescope sites? A good telescope is expensive, quite heavy, and there is nothing to see in Dallas anyway. It probably makes more sense to save my money and make a trip out to the Davis Mountains whenever I need a dark sky fix. 

Old habits are hard to break. I really need to curb my desire to acquire new gear when I'm still trying to get rid of old gear. I had to go to the storage warehouse the other day and the thought of cleaning that place out seems almost impossible. The office is just as bad. I'm a borderline hoarder and get no pleasure out of throwing things away. On the other hand, I'm the first to admit that life would be better if all the clutter was gone and I was just surrounded by things I actually use.

It's time to make a grocery list again. I wonder if I'll ever be able to go to a grocery store without feeling like I'm making a journey into the heart of Chernobyl? The weird thing about living through a pandemic is that you gradually get used to things that would have seemed unthinkable a few years ago. I hope the "new normal" never becomes something we just take for granted. We need to remember that life used to be better than this. I'm still hoping that those days will return.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3983

After making a few more edits, I sent my completed manuscript to the magazine today. A few hours later I sent the accompanying photographs. I selected eighteen of the best images from the hundreds I took at the launch and did my best to clean them up for publication. It's weird that after all these years I'm still discovering new things you can do with Photoshop. I used to wonder why other launch photographer's images always looked better than mine. Sometimes it was just using a better tripod to keep the camera steady. Every photographer seemed to have their own secret sauce. Some like to shoot in manual mode. Others like aperture priority. Almost everyone does some sort of post-processing because the lighting is so difficult on  night launches.

I discovered that by changing the contrast and color temperature of an image I could often bring out more detail. You want everything to look natural, but there is nothing natural about an insanely bright flame surrounded by darkness. I wanted to make sure that you could at least see the rocket that was creating all the flames. My images might improve a bit with better equipment, but I think I did pretty well. Hopefully, the magazine will find something they like. When you send eighteen images, they'll probably only use three.

I must have fallen back to sleep after Janet said it was time to get up this morning. When I realized I was late, I stumbled around getting dressed as quickly as I could while Janet and Dawn waited at the door. It was cloudy this morning, but we still had a pleasant walk. Fifty degrees seems to be an ideal temperature for everyone. We have all settled into a predictable routine. Dawn has specific trees and rocks that she always smells. Janet checks out the progress of new construction in the neighborhood. We both count the ducks and geese to make sure they are all there. Our long walk takes about two hours and the slightly shorter route we sometimes use takes about an hour and a half.

It was a slow day, although I did spend a considerable amount of time preparing my launch photo for publication. Since photography was already on my mind, I went over to the storage warehouse to look for the backdrop we'll be using for Santa Paws pictures. I have lots of photo backdrops, but one is washable and is much lighter than the rest. That's the one I wanted. My storage space is so full that it always takes me a while to find anything. Lots of stuff brings back memories, but there is very little that I'll actually use again. While looking for the photo backdrop, I stumbled across some nice leather coats that don't fit anymore. There was a brand new outboard motor that belonged to my Dad. That's not much use without a boat. The only thing that resembled a boat was a windsurfing board that I'll never be able to use because of my bad shoulder. The guitars and most of the model trains are gone now, but there are still a few vintage synthesizers gathering dust. I diod find the backdrop, but was in no mood for decluttering today. That will have to wait.

My insect bites itch like crazy. I still don't know if I was bitten by mosquitoes or fire ants. I guess it doesn't matter at this point. They will eventually subside and while I wait, I've just got to keep from scratching them. The next time I go to a night launch, I need to remember to bring some industrial strength  insect repellent.

It was one of those days where I kept forgetting what day it was. I did remember it was Thursday just in time to take the week's trash out to the curb. You never want to forget the trash when the city only picks it up once a week. It's hard to believe that it's already been a full week since I left for Titusville and Kennedy Space Center. I wonder how many weeks or months it will be before I pack my bags again?

Jasper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3982

My American made 3M N-95 masks arrived today. These are definitely a step above what you can find at the grocery store. The masks arrived a little late for my trip to Kennedy Space Center, but I will use them when Dalmatian Rescue does Santa Paws Christmas Pictures. It's hard to believe it's that time of year again, but it is. We're only doing pictures at a single venue this year. This one is large enough where we can do everything safely. That's fine by me. One day of pet photography is enough. Every December I keep saying that I'm getting too old for this. The show must go on however. It's been a tough year for fundraising and the Dalmatians still need to eat. I hope we do well.

I'm beginning to think that I got bitten by fire ants instead of mosquitoes while I was watching the Crew-1 launch. These bites are starting to look and feel suspiciously like fire ant bites. I've been bitten by fire ants before and they make hard little welts that itch intensely. Also, fire ants are everywhere in Florida. Maybe this is why I got bitten even though I sprayed myself liberally with mosquito repellant. I forget how long it takes for these things to go away, but it can't be soon enough.

I finished my story for the magazine this afternoon and will start sorting through the pictures tomorrow. I will easily meet the new deadline and then will eagerly await publication. This will be the fifth article I've gotten published since I decided to reinvent myself as a space and astronomy journalist. The whole process has been very rewarding. It's nice to know that you can do something new at any age. I'm glad I didn't start out as a space journalist and then decide to get into advertising after I retired. That wouldn't have worked at all.

I wish I could get a mulligan on that one day I missed my Fitbit goal in Florida. It hardly seems fair. Now I have to start all over again and it's going to take a long time to beat my 422 day record. Oh, well. I was just too busy to take a long walk on launch day. This obsession I have with continuity is why I continue to write the blog even though very few people are reading anymore. After 3982 days, you can't just stop. 4000 days is easily within reach and I may live long enough to reach my 5000 day goal after all. Sometimes I get a little jealous when I see a picture of a puppy that has hundreds and hundreds of likes while I only have about ten readers, but I need to remind myself that I'm doing this for me, not you.

We had another very nice walk with Dawn this morning. I still don't understand Dawn's behavior. She's very friendly with me in the morning. She comes up to me wagging her tail and can't wait for me to put on her harness so we can walk. Early in the day I can't detect any difference in the way she reacts to me and the way she reacts to Janet. As evening approaches she typically becomes wary and will often run away if I make any type of sudden movement. She does come out to the kitchen with me when I fix her dinner now. I guess this is progress. She wouldn't leave the bedroom without Janet a month ago.

I guess peaches are gone until next season, but I did get some more strawberries for tomorrow morning's smoothie. I also looked for a smoked ham for Thanksgiving. I guess we're going to eat at home this year. There is a small batch custom smokehouse in the neighborhood that prepares amazingly delicious smoked meats. They had several large hams available, but nothing small enough for two people. They told me to come back Friday. I'll give this a try, but I'll still miss going out to the Melrose for a Thanksgiving buffet.

I'm already getting invited to future launches by Space X and ULA. Unfortunately, I can't afford to travel very far for a while. I'll have to skip a few launches in the months ahead. I'm counting on there being something interesting on the horizon when my bank account recovers.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3981

My editor wanted a longer article than I had anticipated, so he gave me an extension. This was good news because it was a very busy day. I think I could have finished the assignment, but I definitely wouldn't have gotten anything else done today. The day after I return from a trip is always busy. I had phone calls to return, a stack of bills to pay, files to organize, and a pile of gear to put back in its proper place. I also had to make an appointment with the dermatologist who kept texting me with reminders while I was in Florida. Finally, I made a trip to the grocery to the store to get enough fresh fruit so I could make smoothies for the rest of the week. I washed my dirty laundry from the trip last night, but it was still sitting in the dryer. All these simple tasks took me forever because I am slow and forgetful.

Although I didn't finish my article today, I made good progress. I'm happy with the draft so far and think the finished article will be interesting. With any luck, I can wrap things up with the text tomorrow and move on to photo editing. Working with the photos will take me longer than writing the article. I'm still trying to figure out why some of the other photographers pictures look better than mine. It's rare that any of the launch photographers use pictures straight out of the camera on a night launch. Lighting is difficult and everyone seems to have their own processing tricks. I'm still learning. That being said, I'm happy with the pictures I took. They definitely look better than the ones I took on the ESA Solar Orbiter launch last February.

The day started as usual with a nice walk with Dawn and Janet. The weather was crisp and cool. Morning temperatures were in the 80's while I was in Florida. It was only 46 degrees here in Dallas when we left the house this morning. Dawn loves these cooler mornings and was eager to get going. She was waiting at the door for me to put on her harness while I was still putting on my shoes. Dawn seems to have finally remembered who I am. She has warmed up to me considerably. Let's hope we are friends again.

I called the rental car company this morning because I saw a big discrepancy between the receipt I got in Orlando and the bill that showed up on a credit card statement that arrived today. I felt pretty stupid a few minutes later when I realized that I was looking at the bill from my previous trip to McDonald Observatory on the credit card bill. The current trip hadn't even been posted yet. That's the trouble with traveling. Some bills arrive instantaneously and others languish for weeks, only to arrive when you have totally forgotten about them.

I didn't have problems with allergies or heartburn at all while I was in Florida. I didn't have random coughing spasms while eating either. It certainly didn't take long for all these problems to return. Is Florida really that different? There are different types of trees in Florida and maybe there isn't as much pollen in the air. I don't know why my heartburn symptoms disappeared. Maybe it was because I mostly just ate Chicken Caesar Salads at dinner. There is a flip side to this coin unfortunately. I am covered with mosquito bites. How did I get all these bites? New one are still appearing. I even used mosquito repellant provided by a nearby photographer while we were all waiting for the launch. Somehow the mosquitoes still prevailed.

Janet and I still don't know what we're going to do for Thanksgiving. Our long standing tradition of going to the Melrose for a huge Thanksgiving brunch may never be an option again. I bet those big buffets at the hotels in Las Vegas won't be an option again either. What a shame. I've learned to navigate the new normal pretty well, but that doesn't mean I like it.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3980

Sadly, I had to say goodbye to Kennedy Space Center today and return to Dallas. As I made my journey home, the four Crew-1 astronauts were also making their way to their new home for the next six months. Oddly, my return to Dallas took about the same amount of time as the astronauts much longer journey to the International Space Statioon. I'm watching them approach the ISS now on NASA TV. They've been in the capsule over twenty four hours by now. When the launch was postponed for a day, the time required to reach the ISS increased dramatically. If they had launched a day earlier, they could have made the trip in around seven hours. It's all orbital mechanics. If I really understood how this worked I might have been a rocket scientist instead of a guy who wrote jingles for fast food chains.

My own journey home was much simpler. I returned the rent car after a short 40 mile drive from Titusville to the Orlando airport. It takes a little less than three hours to fly from Orlando to Dallas. It's almost always a very uneventful flight. I guess I'm still a little amazed at how many people are flying these days. If you listen to the business channels you'd think that the airline industry was on the verge of death. It doesn't look that way to me. There were lots of people at the airport. The food court was open. And our plane was technically "full" by the new Southwest Airlines standards. They're still keeping all the center seats open, but I think that's going to end in December. 

This actually seems like what air travel should be like. You can find a parking place at the airport. The lines at the TSA checkpoints aren't horrendous anymore. Best of all, you don't feel like you are packed inside a sardine can on the plane. Having the center seat empty makes a huge difference. Everyone seems to have room for their bags in the overhead bins. It doesn't take as long to enter and exit the plane. And that annoying center seat person who is always making you move so they can go to the bathroom is gone completely. I wish we could keep flying like this forever.

I really enjoyed my trip. I got to see two significant launches within a span of several days. I renewed friendships with members of the space press that I had met on earlier trips. I actually interviewed people on this trip and attended a press conference where I was able to ask questions just like any other reporter. My photos were better this time too. I'm already looking forward to my next launch. It's too bad this is so expensive. I need to find a magazine that pays for travel.

It looks like I'll have to win Dawn's confidence all over again. She appeared frightened when I returned home, just like she did a year ago when I met her for the first time after returning from another launch in Florida. It's kind of sad that her fear of men may never go away. We're convinced that she was mistreated by her former owners. I think we were making real progress before I left for Florida, but this is going to be a very slow endeavor. 

Tomorrow will be busy. I've got to finish my article and send it to the magazine. There are pictures to edit and a lot of laundry to do. I found three new bills to pay in the incoming mail and I've got to go to the store and get some fruit for my morning smoothies. The Resilience capsule just docked with the space station as I write this. It's been quite a year. I wonder what the world will look like six months from now when the astronauts return home. 

Alvin is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3979

The Crew-1 launch was amazing. I was apprehensive about the weather at first, but the chances of rain gradually decreased as the day progressed. By the time the launch took place at 7:27 PM, the skies were clear enough to see a bit of the Milky Way between patches of broken clouds. It really was a beautiful night for a historic launch. The Resilience capsule held four astronauts instead of the usual three. The trip to the International Space Station will be the longest any astronaut has ever taken due to the nature of the orbit. This was also the first time a private company had contracted with NASA to take a crew into space. A lot was riding on this launch to say the least.

Since NASA no longer takes the  press to launch events like this in busses, the media folks gathered at Patrick Air Force Base to form a convoy that would travel to the viewing location using our own cars. There were quite a few people in our group and our convoy looked like a parade. We were all flashing our blinkers behind a lead Air Force car. Our host found us a perfect viewing location directly across the water from Pad 39A. There's usually a lot of waiting prior to a launch, which is kind of ironic because the launch itself is over in a matter of minutes. We typically arrive at the designated location at least an hour or two before the launch. This leaves plenty of time for photographers to fret about their cameras and tell war stories about launches where none of the equipment worked. 

I'm always worried that I'll do something wrong and all my photos will be out of focus. It's harder than you think to focus on something in the dark. I take a lot of practice shots as the rocket is fueling but this doesn't even get you close to the exposure you need for the launch itself. The flame from the engines is so bright that if you expose for the flame, you can't see the rocket and if you expose for the rocket, the bright flame overexposes your entire shot. There is a lot of guesswork involved and I learn new techniques from the other photographers very time I visit the Space Center. I'm beginning to feel like a regular now. This is the fourth launch I've attended at Kennedy Space Center. I've been to an additional launch at Vandenberg Air Force Base too. That being said, I've still got a long way to go. Many of the other photographers have photographed hundreds of launches and a few of the older guys have photographed thousands.

While I was waiting to leave for Patrick Air Force Base this morning, I started writing my article for the magazine in my hotel room. I made good progress and probably have about a third of the article completed. It's probably a good thing that I did this. I forget things quickly and I promised my editor a first draft by the end of the day on Monday anyway. It's rare to meet another writer at these events. Most of the media people I've encountered are either photographers or videographers. Some of the writers work for space oriented websites. I'm old school. I'm pleased to have the opportunity to write for a real magazine that you can hold in your hand. Probably the people who do podcasts get ten times the exposure that I do. Who cares. I still like magazines. Sky and Telescope is a real magazine too. I used to read it when I was in high school.

I was hungry when I returned from the launch, but the restaurant in the hotel was closed. The manager at the front desk said most restaurants close early on Sunday. I'm sure there were still restaurants open somewhere in Titusville but I didn't feel like driving any more. I had a bag of chips for dinner. I was surprised at how many cars were on the road while I was driving back to my hotel. There was bumper-to-bumper traffic for at least thirty miles. Evidently 250,000 people watched this launch and a lot of them were aparently still on the road. 

My coach turns back into a pumpkin tomorrow. As soon as I finish writing this, I've got to start packing my bags. I actually don't mind living out of a hotel room. It's simple and relatively painless. Nobody makes up your room anymore because of Covid, but I know how to make my own bed. I also feel safer leaving my electronic gear in the room, knowing that it will be untouched until I leave. The only thing bad about this new normal is that I'm a bit of a hypochondriac. Every time I end up talking to someone without a mask, I feel like the end is near. My waitress at breakfast this morning wasn't wearing a mask and was handling food and talking to everybody. I don't think I'll have to worry for the rest of the year though. I can't afford to go anywhere else.

Honey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3978

Today was more interesting than I anticipated. It was a scrub day so there was nothing to see at Kennedy Space Center. I'm sure there was lots of activity at Pad 39A, but folk like me weren't allowed anywhere near the place. After breakfast I looked for something to do in Titusville and discovered that the American Space Museum was open. This little volunteer run museum had always ben closed when I've been in Titusville before. The museum is full of rare artifacts from the early days of space travel and the docents are full of interesting stories about the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs they worked on. Several of the docents had been at the same launch I attended last night. I enjoyed talking to these people although I will never recognize them if we happen to meet again. We were all wearing masks. This little museum seems to take Covid much more seriously than my hotel or the airlines. I even had to sign a contact tracing form so they would know how to find everyone if somebody became sick. It's weird talking with strangers these days. You just never know where they've been or what they've been exposed to.

After visiting the museum I thought I'd go to Playalinda Beach. I'd heard that this was a good place to watch a launch and wanted to take some pictures. The beach is actually part of the Canaveral National Seashore which is run by the National Park Service. I had to buy a pass to get in, but now I can go to any National Park in the country for the next year. The National Seashore is quite beautiful with unspoiled dunes and a very clean sandy beach. There was no easy access to where you could see the launch pads, but I needed some exercise anyway. I took a four mile walk along the beach, taking pictures of seabirds along the way. Walking along an empty beach is quite peaceful. The sound of crashing waves and the smell of salt water was just what I needed today. I never did get the pictures of Pad 39A that I was hoping for because NASA had recently expanded the restricted zone and there were no longer clear views of the Space Center. I did get a few pictures when I encountered a really tall guy who climbed on a dune and held my camera over his head. Why didn't I do this myself? Sadly, I can no longer raise my hands all the way over my head. That's what happens when you've got a bad shoulder.

I wish my good masks had arrived in time. Florida will make you a believer in wearing a mask. Floridians are the only people who make Texans seem sane. If you look long enough you can see just about anything down here. What you don't see are a lot of masks. Actually, it probably the same everywhere. I just don't get out much. It's pretty clear though that if anyone tried a complete lockdown again there'd be a rebellion. People are tired of Covid and just want to go back to normal.

The launch is still on for tomorrow evening. There's still a good chance of rain as well. Do you hold them or fold them? Nobody really knows what will happen. If the launch doesn't take place tomorrow, I will have to come home. I've heard that if Space X can't launch on Sunday there could be a delay of up to a week. I definitely can't afford to stay down here that long. I've got my fingers crossed. I've got everything I need for a good story except the launch itself.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3977

One launch down, one to go. The United Launch Aliance NROL-101 Mission lifted off right on schedule, but tomorrow's Crew-1 launch hit a snag. The launch got postponed until Sunday night because what remains of tropical storm ETA is headed towards the drone ship that will recover the Falcon 9 booster. For a while today we all thought the delay might be a lot worse. Rumors were swirling that Elon Musk had wasn't feeling well and had tested positive for cronavirus. The fear was that when contact tracing was finished it would lead all the way back to the astronauts. This seemed unlikely to me, but you never know with Elon. He could have had dinner with the astronauts recently.

Today was busy. After a light breakfast I drove to the NASA Accreditation Office and picked up my credentials. There are always lots of badges at these events. Everyone wears a lanyard around their neck with the badges they need. I had an orange badge and a green badge today. I had two one-on-on interviews with Commercial Crew mission specialists and went to a press conference with NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and other dignitaries. I was going to ask a question at the press conference but someone from a television network beat me too it. Hey, at least it was a good question.

Tonights's launch was a classified mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. Since this was an Air Force mission, the press group I was a part of viewed the launch from Patrick Air Force Base. The weather was good and we had a spectacular view. The Atlas 5 rocket lifted off just after sunset and as it rose in the sky you could see it break into sunlight again. I was expecting a night launch and had a little trouble with the constantly changing exposures right around sunset. I got a few good pictures though. Doing this is definitely a learning experience.

I decided to extend my stay in Florida in hopes that Space X can resolve its problems with the drone ship in the next 24 hours. I can't stay here forever, but it would be a shame to miss what I came here for. Some launches get delayed again and again. The Crew-1 mission has been delayed several times already. It's a shame that tomorrow's launch got scrubbed. The weather looks perfect tomorrow. On Sunday the chances of rain start increasing again. We'll see what happens. Hey, I'm on assignment. I need to get the story.

I'm not sure what I'll do tomorrow. Nothing's happening at the Space Center. I don't want to stay in the Hoel all day, but Covid has certainly curtailed a lot of what you can do around town. Since I arrived at Patrick Air Force Base early today I went to a neat little museum on base while I was waiting for the launch. I know there's a space museum in Titusville, but I think it is closed. Maybe I'll go back to the KSC Visitor Center. I've been there twice but there's still a ton of stuff I haven't seen yet.

I think I'll sleep well tonight. It's been a long day. Covid has certainly changed the way we cover space launches. Some of the people I interviewed today are still working at home. If Elon Musk actually does have Covid he won't be allowed back at the Space Center until he has completed a fourteen day quarantine. I wore my mask outdoors all day today. NASA is pretty strict. It made me appreciate our ability to walk Dawn in the park every morning and pretend that the world is normal.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

3976

I made it to Titusville. The weather has improved quite a bit. I didn't even encounter any rain on the drive from Orlando, although I could see lightning off in the distance. The forecast looks good for Friday and Saturday. I'm hoping that the launch takes place exactly as scheduled.

This was my first flight since the pandemic started. Things are a lot different now. It was easy to find a parking place at the airport. Going through security was a breeze. I don't think I've ever spent less time in the TSA line. There were still a lot of people at the airport, but the place definitely wasn't crowded. There were lots of empty seats in the waiting areas and even with the center seats empty, there was still plenty of room on the plane. I think there were thirty empty seats when we took off.

If this is the future of flying it's OK by me. I'll trade wearing a mask for uncrowded planes any day. There are lots of new rules at the airport and not surprisingly, many of them made no sense whatsoever. There were many signs that told people to wear a mask at all times. There were also many places selling food. What can't you do wearing a mask? Well, you can't eat for starters. People love to eat at airports, so I saw a lot more masks off than on.

They still served snacks and beverages on the plane as well. As soon as the snack cart came down the aisle, the masks came off. Water was also served, but no alcoholic beverages. I thought they'd pass out little bottles of water, but the water arrived in plastic cups instead. There was even an announcement that if you brought your own alcohol, you wouldn't be allowed to drink it. None of this made a lot of sense. If the airline was worried about the virus, they wouldn't have served snacks at all. 

I'm still amazed at how many people wear their mask below their nose. A lot of the cloth gaiters I saw today were completely worthless. I don't know why guys with thick beards bother at all. The mask just sits on top of their beard. I'll wear a mask and try to wear it correctly because I have absolutely no faith in the people around me. I didn't even eat any snacks on the plane. I kept my mask on the entire time. Oddly, just as I was leaving for the airport this afternoon I got an e-mail saying that my high quality 3M N-95 masks had shipped. A little late guys. They'll probably arrive while I'm down here in Florida.

I still managed to get my steps today. We took a long walk with Dawn before breakfast. I didn't have my smoothie this morning because I knew it would take too much time. I still had last minute packing to do. All in all, the day went very well. I didn't get a good deal on my rental car this time, but I did manage to find a car with in-dash GPS and blind spot indicators. There seems to be a lot fewer cars to chose from now. I noticed the same thing when I was going out to McDonald Observatory. Maybe they don't want a lot of idle cars sitting around.

Another strange thing was that the plane was unnaturally cold. The flight attendants aren't allowed to pass out blankets and pillows anymore either. Everyone on the plane was searching for their coats. I'm guessing that they were adding more fresh outside air to the circulation system to keep contamination to a minimum.  I was cold but felt pretty safe. I think you're in a lot more danger by going to Home Depot.

Tomorrow looks like a very busy day. I've got to get my credentials at the badging office. Then there is a briefing to attend with Jim Bridenstine and a one-on-one interview with a Crew-1 mission specialist. If all goes well, tomorrow evening I watch the Air Force launch a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. The main event is Saturday when four astronauts head for the International Space Station in the first official crew rotation mission for Space X. Hope the weather hold up. It ought to be an interesting few days.

Jada is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3975 - Veterans Day

Mom and Dad were both proud Navy veterans. Mom came from a military family with a father who was an Army Colonel and two brothers who were Air Force pilots. I didn't carry on this heritage of service. I never served at all. I had a low draft number during the Vietnam era, but got an exemption because of a knee injury. I'm glad I didn't get drafted. Even back then I thought the Vietnam War was needless. Today I feel that every war the United States got involved in since World War II was an unnecessary war. We certainly didn't need to get involved in the Middle East. Far too many people died or were injured for nothing. Are things any better in Iraq or Afghanistan now? I don't think so. People have been fighting in the Middle East for thousands of years. They will still be fighting long after the last American troops have returned home. We need a strong military, but we also need to learn to mind our own business.

Today was kind of stressful. I'm still not finished packing because there have been so many changes to the launch schedule. I've been on the phone and answering e-mails all day. Nobody knows where tropical storm ETA is headed. Yesterday it was traveling toward the Florida Panhandle. Today the storm has reversed course and is headed back toward the Florida mainland. I still don't know if the storm will be gone by the time I arrive or if I will land right in the middle of it.

Today's schedule changes weren't all bad. A ULA launch that was supposed to take place today got postponed until Friday evening. This means that I will get to see two rocket launches while I'm at Kennedy Space Center. I had to reschedule an interview with a Crew-1 mission specialist so I could attend the additional ULA NROL-101 launch on Friday evening, but I think I've finally got everything worked out.

The elephant in the room is still the weather. Where is this storm going to be when I wake up tomorrow? Will it strengthen to become a hurricane in the next few hours? Who knows. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Southwest Airlines has canceled flight to Tampa but they are still flying to Orlando. I guess that's a good sign.

It's much easier to walk your dog than it is to travel to another state in the path of a hurricane. We had a great walk with Dawn this morning. The temperature was much cooler today and it was right in Dawn's comfort zone. It's amazing what a difference a few degrees can make. Dawn was frisky and full of energy this morning because the temperature was in the fifties. If it was 15 degrees warmer, you'd see a different dog. I'm glad Dawn likes the cooler temperatures, but I wish the weather was a little more consistent. It's hard to decide what to wear in the morning.

I'd better wrap this up soon so I can return to packing. Did I tell you that I hate packing? I'm always forgetting things because of my tendency to procrastinate. It's hard to remember all the details when you are doing everything at the last minute. I also still have to make a list of question for my interview with the Commercial Crew mission specialist. Jeez. Why didn't I do that earlier today? Don't worry. Everything will get done. I haven't missed a deadline yet.

Dolly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3974

I got an e-mail today saying that NASA was providing a limited number of one-on-one interview opportunities with Crew-1 mission specialists prior to the launch. I signed up to interview the Commercial Crew Program Launch Integration Manager and was subsequentially approved. Good grief. Why did I do this? I guess I'm really a reporter now. I'll have to think of some intelligent questions to ask before I leave. Do I record the interview or make notes in a little reporter's notobook? Personally, I'd rather just listen and write down what I remembered later. That would probably look very unprofessional though. A lot of reporters I saw the last time I was at the Space Center carried little notebooks with them. Maybe I'll do that. I'd better remember to take something to write with too. I forgot to take a pen with me when I went to McDonald Observatory. A pen is definitely simpler than a tape recorder. Somehow I hate to add audio equipment to the camera gear I'm already taking.

I found a raincoat I liked at REI. I took a coupon with me that I got in the mail a few days ago which said I could save 20% on any item in the store. When I tried to use the coupon the clerk said it wasn't valid until three days from now. I bought the raincoat anyway, but I kind of felt cheated. If someone sends you a coupon you ought to be able to use it as soon as you receive it without reading a bunch of fine print with a magnifying glass. Janet said that maybe I should have bought a larger size, but the coat looked good in the store mirror. It's going to be warm at the Space Center anyway. It might be wet, but with temperatures in the 80's I don't think I'll need a sweater under the raincoat.

I didn't feel like getting up this morning. I'm definitely not a morning person. I usually wait until I hear Janet call out "thirty minutes" before I get out of bed. Dawn and Janet are always up before I am, but thirty minutes gives me enough time to make the bed and get dressed before we leave on our morning walk. It was pretty warm this morning. I'm always surprised at how different each day begins. Yesterday I needed a warm coat. Today a t-shirt was fine.

I got Emma up on the Dalmatian Rescue website today. It wasn't really necessary to add her to the site since she is already adopted, but people are always interested in learning about new dogs in the program. I used to work on several animal rescue websites, along with my regular clients, but the Dalmatian site is the only one I've got left.  I think if I didn't update this site periodically, I would forget how to work with HTML documents entirely. It's kind of alarming how much I've forgotten already.

I'm not going to get my special N-95 masks in time for my trip. The company said that they would refund the fee I paid to expedite my order, but that they were running behind and wouldn't be able to ship for at least another week. Why did I not anticipate this? I thought I ordered in plenty of time, but I should have known by now that nothing goes smoothly in 2020. Oh, well. I have other masks. We bought a ton of them back when toilet paper was in short supply.

Tropical storm ETA is less of a worry now, but I'm sure I'll find other things to worry about. Lets face it, I'm just not a good traveler. Hey, what are you going to do? You can't see many stars in Dallas and they definitely don't launch rockets here.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3973

Dalmatian Rescue has a puppy. We were excited to go meet Emma this afternoon because it's been a while since we've had a puppy in the program. I took my camera to take pictures for the website but it was only a formality. Emma has already been adopted. We must have a waiting list for puppies because they get adopted almost instantly. This four month old bundle of energy will be going to a great home. I'm glad we got a chance to meet her.

Colt is back at the kennel, but he is not well yet. The vet discovered that he has kidney problems and he is on a special diet now. We will be watching him carefully and hopefully his blood work will improve in the weeks ahead. Two of our own dogs eventually died of kidney failure so we know that any form of kidney disease is not something to be taken lightly. There is no cure for chronic kidney disease, but depending on the severity of the disease and how early you begin treatment, a dog can still live a comfortable life for quite a while. 

Charlie is healthy as a horse, but he could lose a few pounds. He's been at the kennel for so long that you can tell that he feels like this is his permanent home. I'm always surprised at how happy Charlie seems. He actually appears to like living at the kennel. Charlie is very smart and we enjoy teaching him new tricks. He'd probably already have a home by now if he wasn't so unpredictable. Let's just say that I wouldn't want to be sleeping in bed next to Charlie.

It was so muggy on our morning walk that we couldn't decide whether it had rained during the night or was about to rain later in the day. It's amazing how much the weather changes from day to day around here. You can never decide what to wear in the morning. The overcast skies cleared by the time Janet and I went to the kennel, but it remained a bad allergy day. I felt like I had pepper in my nose while we were walking this morning. Tomorrow I may have no allergy symptoms at all.

I've been watching how tropical storm ETA has been developing. It's moving away from Florida now and the latest forecast says that the storm may head for the Florida panhandle rather than doubling back to head toward Orlando. The weather actually looks pretty good for launch day now, but the forecast doesn't fill me with confidence. I don't think anyone really knows where this storm is going to go next. I don't think I have the temperament to live in a coastal area. The tornado warnings we get here are bad enough. Hurricanes are much harder to escape.

I walked into the bathroom adjoining the office this afternoon and saw a rather large lizard staring at me. How the hell to these animals get into the house? First it was a bird and now I have a lizard to deal with. I couldn't just open a window and let the lizard fly out. I had to catch it. Have you ever tried to catch a lizard? They can be pretty fast. I eventually trapped the lizard under a piece of Tupperware and was able to remove it from the house. I'm tired of dealing with invading critters, but I'm sure this lizard won't be the last thing I have to catch.

I may have to go buy a lightweight raincoat tomorrow. The tropical storm may have moved to the West, but it's probably still going to be raining when I arrive in Florida. I had a super light raincoat from my backpacking days, but I can't find it anywhere. All I remember about it was that it was blue and weighed almost nothing. I don't know why I even try to find things I haven't seen in forty years. I can't find stuff I bought last month.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3972

There was a heavy fog when we started walking this morning. As the fog started to lift, the sun appeared as a pale white disk behind the thick clouds. A little later, patches of blue sky began to appear overhead. There was a light breeze and falling leaves rustled along the ground. With each passing day, I see more Fall color as the trees continue to turn. The temperature was a little warmer than yesterday and a light jacket kept me warm. Basically, it was a perfect Fall day.

With weather like this, it's hard to imagine that there's a hurricane developing just south of Miami. No one seems certain where tropical storm ETA will go next, but there's a growing chance that it might impact next weeks Crew-1 launch. The launch is still on schedule, but Kennedy Space Center is definitely going to get some rain in the next few days. I hope the storm weakens or changes direction. I'd really hate to arrive in Florida in the middle of a hurricane.

NASA doesn't appear to be worried at this point. I watched the astronauts arrive at the Space Center on NASA TV this morning. I paid a little more attention than usual to this broadcast because some of these virtual events will wind up in my story about the launch. Covid restrictions have reduced the number of in-person events prior to the launch, but I'm going to try to see as much as I can. I got an e-mail with badging instructions and a list of events today. There are still a number of events I can participate in as long as tropical storm ETA doesn't decide to spoil the party.

I wasn't very industrious today, but I did try to fix the shower drain so it couldn't get clogged by hair anymore. I failed. When I took a shower later in the day, the hidden mesh filter I installed under the drain cover immediately clogged and the shower floor filled with water. It's back to the drawing board with this idea. Unfortunately, far too many of my projects end this way. 

Since it was a nice day, the park was crowded this afternoon. I've noticed lots of people taking family and engagement pictures. Every afternoon there are dozens of photographers taking pictures. Why now? It's as if everyone decided to do these portraits at the same time. There are lots of things I don't understand at the park. I certainly don't understand the hammock people. On a nice day there will be dozens of hammocks strung between trees. For the most part, people just sit in these hammocks and look at their phones. Often they bring dogs with them The dogs don't get walked, they just sit under the hammocks or are tied to a tree.

I prefer to stay active. After several long walks, I methodically begin charging batteries. I'm still not sure which cameras I'll take, so I just charged everything. I'm wondering if I should go buy a light weight raincoat. I thought I had one, but I can't find it. I don't like the idea of shooting pictures in the rain, but I have no control over the weather. Realistically, if the weather is bad, they'll just cancel the launch. Rockets have launched in the rain before though. I need to be ready for anything. I will bring a tripod this time. You definitely need a tripod for a night launch.

I have few complaints today. The weather was beautiful, Janet fixed a delicious dinner, and Dawn was in a good mood. Hopefully, tomorrow will be more of the same.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3971

I got a haircut today, so I guess I'm ready for my trip to Florida. My stylist recently started her own company, so we talked about the joys and pitfalls of owning a business. I hope she does well. I'm glad that I'm not trying to start a company in the middle of a pandemic. Finding a good N-95 mask and worrying about whether my customers were going to give me a deadly disease wasn't even on my radar when I started my own company.

My grocery list was small today and I found everything I needed. The stores were busy today. I don't know why they even bother to put all those stickers on the floor telling people where to stand. Everyone completely ignores them. If it wasn't for all the masks, you'd never know there was a pandemic at all. I guess I wish the unnatural quiet of April and May had lasted a little longer. I liked the empty roads and uncrowded stores. I didn't like the hoarding though. Hopefully, we won't run out of toilet paper again.

We're finally starting to see a little Fall color around town. I'm beginning to notice a lot of reds and yellows among the trees during our walks in the park. We don't have many Maple trees around here, but there is some colorful foliage. Red Oaks actually do turn red in the Fall. Many of the Sumac trees are turning bright red as well. Dogwoods and Crepe Myrtles can be colorful too. Who knows. Maybe the trees will put on a show this year after all.

It's a shame that I don't have as much energy as I used to. I continue to get my 20,000 steps on most days, but that's about it. There were a number of chores that needed my attention today, but I just couldn't bring myself to tackle them. Mowing the grass and washing the car will have to wait. So will vacuuming the house. Grocery shopping and a haircut were all I accomplished today. Maybe I'll be more industrious tomorrow. The weather tells me that it's time to work in the yard, but my body tells me that it's time to take a nap.

Dawn still seems nervous around me when Janet isn't in the house. She must have had a terrible life with the two men who used her as a breeding dog. Dawn just isn't as comfortable around men as she is with women. I have a feeling that it is always going to be this way. Dawn isn't a young dog and her well established view of the world will be hard to change. This is still kind of new to me. All our other dogs instantly identified with my lazy doglike ways.

It's too bad my gym is closed on Sundays now. I"m finally ready to go back, but it's hard to find the time on a weekday. It's not like I'm super busy or anything. It's just hard to find the time because I'm so slow at everything these days. I doubt that I'll get any faster, but I'm definitely going to keep moving. Sedentary people my age begin to go downhill very quickly.

I'm watching tropical storm ETA carefully now. There's a good chance that it could mess up my trip to Florida. Current projections show the storm crossing back over Florida just about the time I'm due to arrive. If the launch gets delayed, I hope they decide something before I leave for Orlando. The last thing I want is to be landing right in the middle of this thing. There's really nothing I can do except to continue watching the weather reports. Hey, it's 2020 so almost anything could happen.

Chase is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3970

When some days draw to a close, I wonder if I've done anything at all. Today was slow, even by my own lax standards. I must have done something, but nothing comes to mind. Dawn seems to have adjusted to the time change quicker than I thought she would. She's content to sleep in until we get up now and doesn't demand her dinner at 4 PM anymore. We walk in the daylight now, even though the days are still getting shorter. The weather remains pleasant and we are finally starting to see some Fall color in the park. A lot of trees just turned brown this year, but there are patches of reds and yellows. You'd never mistake this place for Vermont, but it's starting to look pretty outside.

My watch said that my heartbeat was dangerously low last night. I guess 40 beats per minute is pretty low. I think this was a mistake, but I didn't even know that the Apple Watch warned you about this type of thing. The watch has also warned me about falls where I have never fallen. Are you OK it asks me? This all seems a little overprotective to me. It makes me wonder what else the watch is keeping an eye on. I just hope that it doesn't call an ambulance for me while I'm sleeping some night.

The company I ordered the N-95 masks from told me that shipping is taking  from ten to fifteen days because of hight demand. What did I pay for expedited shipping for? Ten to fifteen days was the time listed on the web site for regular shipping. I wonder why shipping takes so long when Amazon can send you almost anything in two days or less? I have a feeling that these masks will arrive the day after I leave for Florida. That's always the way these things work.

I got a notice that some events prior to the Crew-1 launch may be canceled due to tropical storm Eta. I wonder why they even plan launches when the weather looks bad. It happens again and again though. Sometimes they'll wait right up to a few minutes before liftoff to scrub the launch when it is clear that the weather isn't improving. I guess you have to be optimistic in Florida. I don't think I've ever been there when there hasn't been at least a little rain during the day. I hope the storm has either dissipated or moved on by launch day. I'd really hate to make this trip for nothing. It's kind of late in the season for a storm like this to appear, but then it is 2020. Anything can happen in a year like this.

I think I'll get a haircut tomorrow. It doesn't seem like that long since my last haircut, but it does look like I need one. All the virus restrictions have distorted my sense of time. I've really only had one haircut since last March. Maybe it is time. I always seem to wear better clothes and look more presentable when I travel. It's a shame that appearances don't seem to matter the rest of the time. Retirement and virus restrictions can definitely change your perspective on things. I'm amazed that I even get dressed some days.

It's grocery shopping time again. I finally found Clorox wipes but now they say that disinfecting wipes and toilet paper will soon be in short supply. Do I stock up and start hoarding again? Who knows. This whole year seems like groundhog day. The same things keep happening over and over. I always thought I liked consistency, but I'm not so sure about consistent chaos. 

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3969

Don't you hate it when you're running errands and you realize that you forgot your mask right as you reach the first store on your list. Damn. I had to drive all the way home, get a mask, and start my errands all over again. I finally did what I should have done months ago though. I put a few spare masks in the glove compartment.

I wrote my NASA contact and asked whether they had an updated schedule yet. Nope. They did tell me that I probably guessed correctly on my choice of travel days though. I feel a little better now. I'd still like to see an official schedule however. Kennedy Space Center is fairly huge. If you arrive at the wrong gate for an event, you might miss it completely. I've already had a fifteen minute drive turn into an hour drive by getting confused on directions. Don't want that to happen again.

It was overcast today, but the temperature was still nice for our morning walk with Dawn. I thought it might rain for a little while, but it never did. By mid afternoon, the skies had partially cleared and I could see a little blue peaking through the clouds. I shouldn't have been disappointed today, but I've been spoiled by the near perfect weather we've been having lately. 

I finally worked up my nerve to look at the long range weather forecast for Titusville. There's a 30% chance of rain on launch day and thunderstorms are predicted on the day before the launch. This is fairly typical weather for the Space Coast at this time of year, but it sure would be nice to have clear skies down there as well. I'm not wild about driving in from Orlando in a rainstorm, but I don't have much influence over the weather. It is what it is.

I got the results for my recent doctor visit and all is good. I always prefer it when a doctor calls me with results. Everyone is switching to online patient portals now, and half the time the information gets entered incorrectly. Occasionally, the information is correct, but I completely misinterpret it. It's better if you can talk to someone and ask questions. If we have to do this electronically, it would be nice if all the doctors could just enter their information in a common database. It would seem that they would wont to share information, but that never seems to happen. I have so many separate patient portals now that I have a hard time remembering what they are for.

I discovered that my new carry-on bag includes a nifty built-in battery that can be used to recharge a phone or tablet up to five times. This is actually very handy. I wonder why nobody has thought of this before. It's easy to run your battery down at the airport if you have a long wait between flights. The charging stations at airports never seem to work either.

Janet and I still can't decide what to do for Thanksgiving this year. In recent years we've gone out to eat at a local hotel that has an amazing Thanksgiving buffet. It was always fun to try all sorts of things that we normally never eat. I think buffets are gone for the foreseeable future though. What a shame. I doubt that many people get Covid from serving themselves at a buffet. Probably a lot of people will get the virus from having Thanksgiving dinner with their family though. Experts still say that family gatherings are one of the most common ways the virus spreads.

I loaded the dishwasher last night and forgot to turn it on. I forgot to wear a mask to the pharmacy today. I wonder what I'll forget on my trip to Florida. I was real careful about taking everything I needed on my trip to McDonald Observatory, but I still ended up forgetting several things. I guess I'd better get used to this. Old people forget things. I did remember to take the trash out to the curb this evening though. That's something.

Coach is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day