Day 4283

Today got off to a good start. I woke up early enough to have some French Toast for breakfast and take a shower before making the sunrise drive from Titusville to Kennedy Space Center to set up remote cameras for the launch. I don't set up remote cameras myself because I don't have any I can afford to lose. I've heard too many stories about cameras that were ruined by being out in the rain overnight or by wind blown rocket fuel during the launch. This is always your best chance to get close up pictures of the rocket though. If you are lucky, you can get really close to the pad. 

We were lucky this morning because Space X allowed us inside the fence at Pad 39A. This rarely happens on NASA launches. Space X definitely does things a little differently than NASA. Usually there is only a small handful of photographers setting remote cameras on a NASA launch. This morning there must have been almost a hundred people waiting to get on five large busses. 

I was surprised that we were riding in busses to the launch pad. I've been to one NASA launch during Covid and we all formed a convoy and followed a NASA vehicle to the viewing location in our own cars. We even had to social distance our cars when we got to the location. A photographer waiting to get on the bus with me said he thought it was too early for busses. He said he got on a Space X bus during a recent Starlink launch and the bus driver had Covid. Apparently the entire bus had to be quarantined for 14 days. We all wore masks while we were out at the pad this morning but a lot of people in Florida don't. 

Our bus was delayed this morning because somebody forgot to call the bomb sniffing dog. We unloaded all our bags and waited. You can tell the handlers really love their dogs. Most military dogs are Belgian Malinois. They look a lot like German Shepards, but are stronger and more athletic. Today's dog was smaller than usual and looked very young. He was extremely well trained though. I'm always impressed by these dogs. 

I asked if we could come later to view the launch this evening than the 3 PM arrival time mentioned in one of the Space X messages I received. The earliest the rocket was scheduled to launch this evening was 8 PM. That's a long time to be out in the sun. "You can come whenever you want," the Space X representative told me. "If you don't come early though, you'll probably get caught in a traffic jam and end up waiting over an hour to get through the guard gate." I decided to leave early.

I should have waited because the crowds were apparently all Space X VIP's and they went somewhere else to view the launch. I sailed through the guard gate. We could see the VIP's off in the distance in their own special tent. I think Elon was there. When I got to the launch site I saw the astronauts driving to the launch pad in their white Teslas. Unfortunately, I hadn't gotten set up yet and my camera was still in the trunk of the rental car. The guys who were doing the Netflix documentary about the launch were there with a satellite truck and and an elaborate enclosure for their gear and on-camera talent. They were going to live stream the final episode of the series. My setup was pretty simple by comparison, but I did find a good place to take pictures and was very happy with the results. Everything seemed to go perfectly on this launch. There were no delays at all. The launch took place right on schedule and it was quite beautiful.

I enjoyed this trip. I reconnected with some space photographer friends that I hadn't seen in a while and at least for the moment, it kind of seemed like I was back in the game. Now I"ve got to go write my article,
 

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4282

There were no plans for today, which kind of surprised me. Although Space X told us yesterday that our credentials were for use on Wednesday only, I thought I'd try to use mine today. What did I have to lose. The worst that could happen was that I might have to turn around and go back to the hotel. 

I sailed through the gate without any problems and wound up at the Press Site a few minutes later. There wasn't a lot going on since this wasn't a NASA launch. I asked some guys setting up a platform with lights if this was for the afternoon press briefing. Nope. The film crew was setting up to live stream tomorrow's launch. I was hoping to attend the press briefing, but the only information I got from Space X was a dial in number I could call if I wanted to ask a question over the phone. I wandered around taking a lot of pictures and eventually ran into another reporter who seemed to be doing the same thing. She was a staff writer for The Atlantic and told me that Space X had only invited 27 journalists to the briefing, which was apparently going to be held inside the Space X hanger next to Pad 39A. If the reporter from The Atlantic didn't make the cut, I imagine that my little magazine was way down near the bottom of the list.

The NASA Press Office was closed, but there was a sign on the door saying that the press could still eat at the nearby NASA cafeteria. I've eaten there before and the barbecue is quite good. Since I was getting hot from wandering around outside, I went over to the cafeteria to cool off and ended up eating a big pulled pork sandwich with a huge tumbler full of sweet tea. I shouldn't have done this because I never eat lunch anymore. I was full for the rest of the day.

When I was driving back to Titusville along Kennedy Parkway I ended up passing a gigantic transporter carrying a Falcon 9 rocket. The convoy with the rocket was going about five miles an hour, so I slowly and carefully passed the transporter in what was left of the right hand lane. The transporter was huge. It was originally built to move the space shuttle around and NASA sold it to Space X when the shuttle program ended. I really wanted to pull over and take a picture but the highway had soft shoulders and there were at least six police cars in the convoy and I didn't want to do anything wrong. It was a cool experience though. I was only about five feet away from the rocket when I was passing the convoy.

When I exited the secure area and passed the Visitor Center Complex I though I might spend the remainder of the afternoon visiting the Atlantis exhibit again. I didn't want to pay the $50 admission fee plus an additional $10 for parking, but I had an idea. Last night I found an old annual pass to the visitor center inside my passport that NASA had given me in early 2019. It had expired, but I asked the guys at the gate if they would still honor this pass since the visitor center was closed because of Covid for the entire year during 2020. It must have seemed like a strange request because the guy at the gate had to call his supervisor, who in turn had to call his supervisor. Eventually they let me in for free and I didn't have to pay for parking either.

When I got back to the hotel I watched a live feed of the press briefing on the Space X web site. It's just as well that I didn't try to ask questions. All the questions from reporters were very serious. I wanted to ask Hayley what she would have done if her Mom said no. Hayley has said several times that she asked her Mom if it would be OK before accepting the Inspiration 4 offer. I wanted to ask Jared Issacman about all the commercial tie-ins associated with this mission. Everyone is wearing a different brand name watch. Martin Guitars is sending a ukulele into orbit which Chris Sembroski will supposedly play. 66 pounds of hops are on board which Samuel Adams will use to brew a special beer when the astronauts return. A bunch of other stuff is on board that will be auctioned off to raise money for St. Jude Children's hospital. We've been hearing about Commercial Crew missions for quite a while now. This crew will probably end up making commercials.

All in all, it was a very good day. It didn't go as I expected, but in retrospect it was probably even better than I expected. 

Nicholas is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4281

I made it to Florida. The plane was full, but somehow I got lucky and chose the one seat where nobody sat in the middle row. Service was pretty basic. I got one tiny packet of pretzels and a choice of Coke, Diet Coke, 7-Up, or water. No Ginger Ale anymore. No beer or wine either. The flight attendants made it clear that there would be no misbehaving on this flight and that masks were to be worn at all times. All the seats in the plane had been replaced with brand new seats that were easy to clean and disinfect but hard to get comfortable in. There was no padding whatsoever. I guess this is the future of flying.

Everything went smoothly today. The plane left on time. I managed to get a rental car with in-dash GPS. Most importantly, I got my media credentials from Space X. I saw a few people I'd met before at the Press Accreditation Building, but they didn't remember me. I still don't know what we are going to do tomorrow. I think we might get an e-mail later tonight with some sort of itenarary. The launch is still scheduled for Wednesday night. A guy from Space X said that if I went to Playlinda Beach around 3 PM this afternoon I could see the four T-38 trainers take off with the Inspiration 4 astronauts onboard for a flight over the space center. I drove up to Playlinda, but I didn't see anything. Maybe there was a change in plans.

I was surprised that my hotel was so empty when the plane to Orlando was so full. I thought the rush to Disneyland would be over now that most kids are back in school. I forgot that little pre-school kids like Disneyland too. I've never seen so many tiny kids on a plane. I hope my hotel isn't in trouble. There aren't as many towels in the bathroom anymore and all the bulbs in the lamps have been replaced with low wattage bulbs. There is a sign on my desk urging me to help the hotel save energy. I don't know how much money these low wattage bulbs save, but I do wish it was a little brighter in here.

Dawn seemed surprised that I left the house so early this morning. She knew it was too early for a walk because it was still dark outside. I hope she misses me just a little bit. I think she likes me for walks. Janet says it is hard to get her to walk when I'm gone. We'll see. The last time I went out to the observatory we had to start the whole "getting to know you" process all over again when I returned.

It's been a long day. I hope I sleep well tonight. I seldom sleep well in hotels, but there's a first time for everything.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4280

Today was mostly walking and packing. I'm good at walking and terrible at packing. We get up a little later on Sunday, but our sunrise walk was still nice and cool even though the sun was already over the horizon. We had a nice leisurely breakfast on our return and then I took my long walk in the park. Somehow I forgot it was time for Dawn's Sunday outing today, but Dawn and Janet were quick to remind me when I got back home. I rested for about fifteen minutes and then we went walking again. I was really pleased at how well I did today. This was easily the longest I've walked since I was hospitalized.

I wasn't nearly as pleased with the progress I've made getting ready for my trip. Did I mention that I was terrible at packing? I always forget things. Sometimes I forget important things. Every time I remembered something I'm going to need, I dumped it in an empty suitcase. I'll organize things later. I made a list of addresses I'm going to need. I should have these addresses memorized by now, since they're the same places I always go, but this kind of stuff never seems to stick in my head. I'm so old school that I always print out all my reservations and contacts instead of keeping them on my phone. I put all this information in a manila folder and always keep it nearby. My phone stays charged a long time because I hardly ever use it.

Whenever I travel to Florida I always worry that I'll get there and discover that the launch has been canceled. It's miracle when things actually go according to schedule. More than once I have had to extend my stay when a launch got postponed. Usually the delays are only 24 hours though. NASA is pretty good about sending you constant updates, but Space X is a lot more succinct. I received one short message from them that actually had all the information I need and haven't heard anything since. This terse communication makes me a little nervous but what can you do. You either make the trip or you don't.

You can't have a drink on the plane anymore. That's a shame. Having a drink was always relaxing. I guess eliminating alcohol is supposed to make the passengers less unruly. I wish the airline's would go back to keeping the center seat empty. Flying was actually kind of nice when all the center seats were empty. I'll have to remember to take plenty of masks. The space center is fanatical about masks. You have to wear them indoors and out, day or night. I wish I could wear something that would protect me from mosquitos. Florida mosquitos are horrendous on night launches. No matter what kind of bug spray I use, I always come home covered in bites.

The fur on Dawn's paws has finally grown back. So far, she has not started licking again. We still don't know if getting all the stones out of her bladder caused the licking to stop, or if it was the allergy medicine the vet prescribed. We'll probably stop the allergy medicine soon and see if the licking behavior returns. I'm guessing that the stones made her uncomfortable. They certainly made me uncomfortable.

I hope my upcoming trip is worth the effort I'm making. I do want to be a space journalist, but I'm never that wild about traveling. I'm happy enough just taking naps in the afternoon with Dawn. I'm probably happier about the naps than Dawn is. She's still not wild about sharing the bed with me.

Marcie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

4279 - 9/11

It's hard to believe it's been 20 years since the towers fell. So much has changed and yet nothing has changed. I still sit at the same kitchen table where I watched the days events unfold that fateful morning. The kitchen TV is a modern flatscreen now, but it still sits on top of the same indestructible old Toshiba microwave. Spot had died in June of 2001 and I don't think we'd gotten Petey yet. We had just started getting involved with Dalmatian Rescue. I was still working and was very busy. I remember flying to Germany to work on an ad campaign for Siemens a few weeks after 9/11 and feeling that the world had changed forever.

We flew an American flag in front of our house for the rest of the year. Most of our neighbors did too. The country seemed united in a way that seems impossible today. There was a lot of fear in those early days.  I remember buying gas masks after the anthrax scare. They probably wouldn't have done any good, but they made us feel better for a week or so. Everybody was in favor of going to Afghanistan and kicking the Taliban's ass in those early days. It wasn't until we went to Iraq and completely ignored Saudi Arabia, which was always the elephant in the room, that people started having second thoughts about wars in the Middle East. Nobody would have ever believed that we would end up handing Afghanistan back to the very same Taliban twenty years later.

I wonder if we have learned anything during the past twenty years. The world is more of a mess than it ever was and our own country is hopelessly divided. Janet and I used to travel a lot and loved spending time in Paris and Barcelona. I can't think of a single major city where I'd feel safe anymore. I never could have predicted twenty years ago that my favorite place would now be a lonely mountaintop in West Texas. 

I used to go to New York frequently to edit television commercials. I had a lot of free time and visited the Wall Street area several times. Once I took the elevator to the observation deck on top of the South Tower. I took today's picture from the window of my room at the UN Plaza. I never ate at Windows of the World because I was young and couldn't afford it. Those times seem so long ago now. It's almost like I was living in a different universe.

Now I'm retired and would love to live in a world that made sense again. Lots of luck with that. I still think the primary problem is globalism. You can't just take hundreds of different cultures that have developed over thousands of years and just mix them all together. It doesn't work that way. I look for clues in the animal kingdom, but even ducks can be mean and nasty. Humans never were very nice and probably never will be. We have big brains but we'll never last as long as the dinosaurs. We'll probably do something stupid and be extinct in 300 years.

On days like today we always resolve to never forget. We do forget though. Often way too quickly. History is littered with momentous events we've totally forgotten about. I'm not looking for miracles here. I'd just like ten good years with no major problems. OK, let's be optimistic about my long walks. How about fifteen years?

Shadow is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4278

I got a message from Space X today saying that I had been credentialed to cover the upcoming Inspiration 4 launch. This was a surprise. Somewhat short notice too. I had applied for a press pass so long ago that I'd almost forgotten about it. I think I'm going to go. Hotel, flights to Orlando, and rental cars are all still available. The new editor at SpaceFlight said he had been planning to write the article about the launch himself, but that it would be better coming from someone who was actually there. So it looks like I've got a job to do too. So far, it's all looking good. I just hope the launch doesn't get postponed after I've already arrived in Florida. That can get expensive.

I've been hearing horror stories all Summer about the cost and availability of rental cars and hotel rooms. Rental car rates are about the same as they've always been and the hotel and airfare are actually less expensive than the last time I went to Kennedy Space Center. I guess you can't believe everything you read.

The weather has been beautiful all week. We had a nice sunrise walk with Dawn, although she made it clear that she didn't want to go exploring this morning. I could tell she was going to make a right turn and take the short route home at least 100 yards before we reached the turn. I was still able to take my long walk right after breakfast and stay reasonably cool. It's not jacket weather yet, but I really think Summer is just about over.

Although the message from Space X was a big surprise, the rest of my day was fairly uneventful. My long walk eats up two hours and I probably spend the same amount of time napping. This afternoon I spent quite a while checking prices and making reservations. The rental car website crashed and I had to call to make a reservation. I called the hotel front desk, but my reservation never got recorded on my phone app. More calls tomorrow I guess. I tried to reschedule a doctor's appointment only to discover that the office closed at 4 PM and they had no voicemail. I need to remember to do this on Monday.

Dawn still seems indignant when Janet leaves the house and she has to spend the day with me. She isn't scared of me. She just doesn't seem to like me very much. She followed me outside after I returned from my walk because I knew she needed to pee. Generally, she just ignores anything I say. Dawn is a very smart dog though. I'm amazed at what Janet has been able to teach her at training class. I attribute all this to the old adage about old dogs and new tricks. Dawn is an old dog and she was mistreated by the two men who used her for breeding for a long time. We get along though. I never really expected everyone to like me.

It's time to make a grocery list again. The end of smoothies has changed things up a bit. I'm not sure how much fruit to buy anymore. Maybe this is all for the best. I've noticed that I don't have as many problems with heartburn now that I don't drink breakfast smoothies. This makes no sense though. A bowl of chili is supposed to give you heartburn, not a fruit smoothie.

I hope the weather stays nice through the weekend. I definitely don't want to start worrying about roof leaks again.

Cleo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4277

I got a letter from the new editor at SpaceFlight Magazine today hoping that I would continue to be a contributor to the magazine and asking if I had any ideas for new articles. This was definitely encouraging news. It kind of keeps the dream of being a space reporter alive. I still have no plans to return to Kennedy Space Center any time soon, but eventually the pandemic will be over. I am confident that there will be future articles.

The weather has been really nice this week. When we took our sunrise walk with Dawn this morning it was only 69 degrees. The weather was still cool enough for me to take a nice long walk after breakfast. It's pretty evident that I enjoy walking outdoors more than going to the gym. Extreme heat isn't fun though and it's nice to have the gym as a backup, even though I might not need it again for another year. I may be wrong, but I think Summer is finally over.

I'm still not doing much during the day. It's nice to have a doctor's excuse to be lazy. I've still got a week or so to go before I can lift anything, but my recovery is proceeding nicely. Eventually I'll have to get the lawn mower out and cut all the tall grass. The only useful thing I did today was spray for spiders under the eaves. Hopefully, now that the windows are clean and the spiders are gone I won't have to do this again for quite a while.

Dawn is weird. She gets excited when I get her leash for our sunrise walk. She gets even more excited when I begin preparing her dinner. When I want to take a nap with her during the day however, she immediately moves to the far corner of the bed. She'll stay on the bed with me as long as I don't look at her. If I stare at her, she'll get up and go to her bed in the kitchen. Doesn't she know by now that I actually like dogs, especially Dalmatians? I'm still waiting to win this dog over, but I think she's made up her mind.

I wonder who sold my number to the telemarketers. There has been a huge increase in telemarketing calls this year. AT&T is supposed to block these calls, but they don't do a very good job. I get spam text messages and cell phone calls as well. I wonder who actually answers these calls? I don't. If I don't know you already, I don't pick up the phone. Somebody must be picking up the phone though. I can't believe that so many people would be spamming me if it wasn't profitable.

When I was ready to take the trash to the curb this evening I discovered that Janet had already done it. She's making the bed in the morning too. I like this, but don't want to appear lazy. That was always one of the best things about making my living as a writer. I could stare at the ceiling for hours at a time and everyone would always think I was working. Pretty soon I'll be able to lift things again and I'll resume my household chores. Personally, I enjoy doing nothing. It's an acquired taste though. Most people I know like to stay busy.

Dawn took a new route on her sunrise walk this morning. She ended up walking an extra half mile. This was the first time she's done this in over a month. I wonder what she'll do tomorrow morning?

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4276

The days are starting to run together. I'm having trouble telling one day from another. Long walks in the park are normal again. I still have some discomfort in my abdomen, but it is indistinguishable from a mild upset stomach. We still start our day with a sunrise walk, but Dawn isn't adventurous anymore. She's stuck to her basic one mile loop for several weeks now. I'm still having shredded wheat and fruit for breakfast. The Vitamix hasn't sat unused for this long in quite a while.

The missing Amazon package mysteriously appeared in our mailbox this morning. We have no idea whether Amazon redelivered the package or if a neighbor brought it over. If it was a neighbor, I have no idea which one. The house in the Amazon delivery picture wasn't remotely familiar. All is well though. Dawn now has the medicine she needs.

We woke up to a severe storm warning, but even though the storm was headed directly toward us in the weather radar, we got surprisingly little rain. For some reason the storm broke up and dissipated just before it reached our neighborhood. Although all we got were a few light sprinkles, the storm did keep the temperature cooler today. It felt more like Fall than Summer when I took my walk in the park.

I felt like spending another day sleeping, but Janet kind of shamed me into working. She's always busy around the house. I helped clean the windows which I should have done weeks ago. The outside of our windows get covered with spider webs in the Summer. The windows are a mess to clean which is why I tend to ignore them. The windows look great now, although I spent the afternoon covered in spiders and webs. Some of the spiders were pretty big. We have lots of glass in the house and the spiders like to build their web next to the windows because that's where the insects congregate at night. I'd like to think that there is some sort of benefit to having all these spiders, but so far I haven't found any.

The grass is looking pretty ratty. I don't feel up to pushing the mower yet, but I don't want to hire a lawn crew either. I'm trying to convince myself that the tall grass is developing equally deep roots. Maybe this is true because the grass still looks pretty green. Actually, everything is pretty green this year. Usually by mid September all the vegetation is dry and brown.

The current Covid surge is kind of weird. According to everything I read, hospitals are overflowing with Covid patients and things have never been worse. If this is true, why are cruise ships operating, why are stadiums full, and why are hotels, airlines, and resorts all running commercials urging people to travel again? I think the State Fair of Texas is planning on a normal in person run this Fall. Something is wrong with this picture. I still don't know anybody who has gotten sick, but maybe I just lead a sheltered life.

I think tomorrow will be nearly the same as today. No window cleaning though. Hopefully what we did today will last for the rest of the year.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4275

There's a hint of Fall in the air. I think the worst of Summer is finally over. When we took Dawn on her sunrise walk this morning, it was only 70 degrees. It still gets a lot hotter later in the day, but this is a welcome relief. The weather was still pretty nice when I took my long walk after breakfast. I'm glad to be walking in the park again. A walk in the woods is much more enjoyable than circling around and around an indoor track.

We ordered some medicine for Dawn recently. When Amazon Prime left their proof of delivery photo, it wasn't even our house. It wasn't either of our neighbor's houses either. I have no idea where this package was actually delivered. You'd think that Amazon would have sent the driver back to retrieve the package while he was still in the area and redeliver it. Nope. Janet had to cancel the order and get a refund. UPS is still the best with deliveries. Amazon and Fedex, not so much.

I'm still not hungry for my morning smoothie. This seems so strange to me, since I've been drinking this concoction for breakfast for years. Maybe the desire for a liquid breakfast will return, or maybe not. I always thought my smoothie was very healthy, but it turns out that it contains too much fat and way too much sugar. Who knows if shredded wheat and fruit is much better?  It will have to do for now. I don't even like the smell of a fried egg in the morning and oatmeal doesn't sound so good either.

I wish I could trust Dawn without the cone when I take my morning walk. She really doesn't like it. Her paws look so good now that I just don't want to risk going back to square one. I guess the cone is OK. I check on her with the petcam occasionally while I'm walking and she's just sleeping. Dawn is more than welcome to go walking with me, but she's decided that one mile early in the morning is all the walk she needs. We were able to take a sunset walk with Dawn this evening though. Did I mention that the weather was quite nice today?

I think our lake needs to be dredged again. There is a small bay near where I always see the geese that has become completely dry. I wish this lake had crystalline waters and colorful stone beaches like Flathead Lake in Montana, but I'll have to settle for murky water and snakes instead. At least it's a real lake in the middle of a city. It would be hard to find a better place to walk a dog.

I'm really starting to miss my time out at the observatory. I'm not up for a long drive yet, but I bet I will be next month. I'm looking forward to volunteer opportunities again. I wish I had enough faith in my own car to drive it to West Texas. I could save a lot of money in rental cars if I just took my own. I just want to make sure I'm really healthy before I embark on another long trip. I'm a cautious person anyway, but my surprise hospital stay has made me even more cautious. 

I wish Dawn would be a little less cautious. She needs to be a little more adventurous on her walks. Maybe I'm a bad role model. I don't think I've been adventurous at all this year.

Bailey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4274 - Labor Day

I'm making progress. I completed my full six mile walk in the park this morning. I was pretty slow, but who's counting. It helped that the weather was nice. For most of the walk it was overcast with a nice breeze. When I returned home, I felt no different than any other day. I'm still not supposed to lift anything heavy, but I think my recovery is progressing nicely. The big black and blue blotch on my belly is even starting to fade. When that disappears, I'll consider myself back to normal again.

The park was really busy today. I guess Labor Day is a real holiday after all. There were even a lot of people on the trails when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk. When I took my long walk right after breakfast it felt like the Fourth of July. I wouldn't mind seeing a lot fewer people in the park, but it's still nice to have a huge wooded area right outside your back door. When we moved here many years ago I didn't realize that we'd accidentally picked the best part of the entire city.

When I left on my walk this morning. I had to put Dawn's cone on because Janet hadn't returned from the gym yet. Dawn was totally disgusted. Dawn hates the cone, but her paws are looking so good now that I'd hate to see all this progress go down the drain. Dawn could still do a lot of damage if she started licking and biting at herself again. Luckily, I'm never gone for long. I don't think Dawn has it too bad.

I need to find some new ways to occupy myself. For the past several years most of my activities have been centered around trips to McDonald Observatory and Kennedy Space Center. I've learned a lot about astrophotography and made some valuable contacts at the space center. I wrote quite a few articles and many of them got published. Somehow, that all seems to have disappeared. Many of my contacts have retired and Covid restrictions have changed everything. I kind of feel like I'm back to square one and I'm not all that excited about starting over.

It's way too easy to spend the day sleeping. You'd think that if I slept during the day I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. This doesn't seem to be a problem. I've been getting a lot of sleep lately. I've been able to convince myself that all this rest is helping my recovery, but I won't be able to get away with this excuse much longer. I'm either going to have to find a new project or just admit that I'm lazy.

Dawn and I should be soulmates. She likes to walk and she likes to sleep. This sounds pretty good to me as well. Dawn still seems a little miffed that she has to share the bed with me, but she's learning. The room is quiet and I never watch television. Dawn usually falls asleep before I do. It bothers her if I'm staring at her so I usually turn away. We coexist pretty well, although she still hops off the bed and races to the front door as soon as she hears Janet's car in the driveway.

I've got a pile of bills I need to pay tomorrow. I find no joy in paying utility bills. The gas bill is lower in the summer, but the water and electric bills are much higher. You've got to water the grass in the summer and the air conditioner is running non stop. At least the air conditioner is working. The house is nice and cool.

Tomorrow will be much like today. Probably the entire week will be much like today. You realize that it's been a slow summer when the only excitement is a trip to the hospital.

April is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4273

I took my first long outdoor walk since I was hospitalized. I didn't walk as far as I usualy do, but it's a start. I have no real pain anymore. I'm just a lot more tired than I used to be. We had a nice sunrise walk with Dawn this morning and it was still cool enough to take her on her Sunday outing later in the day. I wasn't able to keep up with Dawn and Janet on the Sunday outing, but I didn't expect to. I walked about halfway and returned to the car. I think I had plenty of walks today.

When we went for ice cream cones on the way home, we discovered that the place was closed. There was a little sign on the window saying that due to a staff shortage, the place would be reducing the number of hours they were open. This seems to be a recurring theme. Small businesses just can't find or retain the staff they need anymore. We found a more expensive ice cream place that charged a ridiculous amount for a cone, but we got one anyway. Dawn waits all week for her ice cream cone. I still don't feel like eating ice cream for some reason. That saved a little money.

My unexpected bile duct blockage is making me a little nervous about returning to the observatory. If this had happened while I was out there, it could have been life threatening. Lack of decent medical facilities is one of the main things that observatory residents complain about. There is only one small hospital in the area and nobody seems to like it. Serious medical problems often involve a drive all the way to Odessa or El Paso and now those hospitals are full of Covid patients. It's a mess. A lot of my friends buy helicopter insurance so they can be airlifted out if something serious happens. 

I can't think of many reasons to like living in a big city but access to good medical care is still at the top of my list. I received excellent care during my hospital stay and didn't have to wait to see the people I needed to see. Janet had the same experience when she was being treated for cancer. I think it helps that our primary care physicians are associated with the hospital. It's doesn't look like we'll be moving to West Texas, but I knew that anyway. The older you get the more you depend on good doctors and having a major hospital nearby.

Since tomorrow is Labor Day, a lot of things will be closed. My gym is going to be closed, so if I want to walk I'll need to get out early before it starts getting hot. My walk in the park this morning wasn't that bad. Of course, I didn't really go very far. We won't be able to visit the Dalmatians tomorrow either since the kennel is closed for Labor Day. I'll still be able to take naps though. It seems like I've been doing a lot of that lately.

We might be able to retire Dawn's cone soon. She shows very little desire to lick her paws lately. Did her bladder stones cause enough discomfort to cause her to start all the licking? Sometimes licking is the way dogs react to discomfort. Maybe it's the new allergy pills she started taking. It's weird that we still don't know what was causing the problem. I'm glad she's getting better though. I'm glad I'm getting better too.

Allie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 4272

It's weird how quickly things change. It seems like only a few weeks ago that virtually all the stores where I shop had gone back to their pre-pandemic days. Everything seemed normal again. Now there are fresh banners at the entrances requiring a mask to enter the building. I wonder if toilet paper hoarding is going to return? Most stores just got finished scraping up all those 'stay six feet apart' stickers on the floor. Are they going to have to apply new stickers now?

Some people are quick to blame the unvaccinated for the current virus resurgence. I'm not so sure. By any historic standards, the country is actually doing a pretty good job of getting vaccinated. At any rate, the wrong people are getting the blame. It's young people who still feel invincible who are not getting vaccinated. I have almost equal numbers of conservative and liberal friends and I don't know a single person who has resisted getting vaccinated. I do know a lot of people who were quick to travel, go to ball games, and start socializing again as soon as restrictions were lifted. Large groups hanging out together are still the real problem. Throughout this pandemic I've always thought that if more people were antisocial like me, we could have significantly minimized this mess.

I still go to the gym, but my gym is far from crowded. I encounter far fewer people at the gym than I used to walking outdoors in the park. There is the constant smell of disinfectant at the gym and some people seem to spend more time cleaning their machines than they do actually exercising. People have definitely gotten meaner. It's not just people on airplanes either. The other day a guy chewed me out for being in the wrong lane on the track. There were only three people using the track and there are three lanes. Get a life, buddy.

Dawn seemed eager to take a second walk today. We waited until almost sunset and made our one mile loop again. The days are still hot, but sunrise and sunset walks seem fine for everybody. It's nice to see Dawn healthy again. She has virtually stopped licking and biting at her paws and has a lot more energy than she did a month ago. Hopefully, this will continue. I think we are both getting better.

I'm having second thoughts about my 5000 day goal. Why am I even doing this? I've learned how to fill up space on days where nothing happens, but I rarely have anything important to share. I think I'm kidding myself when I say a write to keep my mind sharp. If I've proved anything at all, it's than in an average daily life, very little happens. I bet I could substitute a post from two or three years ago and you'd never even know the difference.

Tomorrow I'll continue proving that very little happens. If it's not too hot, we'll take Dawn for her Sunday outing. Maybe I'll be able to complete the full mile this week. Last week I had to turn around and wait for Dawn and Janet at the car. We'll see. I feel a lot stronger now. I'm not sure if I'll feel like ice cream. If not, Dawn can have my cone.

Domino is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 4271

Back to the gym again. I'm still not very active, but I'm trying. With each passing day I feel a little better, but I still have no desire to do anything. I'm trying to force myself to go to the gym everyday because otherwise I'd just spend the day sleeping. I'm actually surprised that I can still sleep at night. With all the naps I've been taking, my Fitbit has been registering more than 8 hours of sleep each day for the first time I can remember.

We still start our day with a sunrise walk with Dawn. If there happens to be a breeze, these walks are enjoyable but you can feel the heat as soon as the sun clears the horizon. Dawn still enjoys these morning walks but she has no desire to go any further than her standard one mile loop. I can't say that I blame her. Lately, I'm ready to return home after one mile myself.

I'm still having shredded wheat for breakfast. What happened to my smoothie? I have no desire for a smoothie anymore. This is one of the oddest side effects of my illness. How can a mealtime favorite for many years suddenly turn your stomach? I imagine that I'll return to having smoothies at some point, but for now this remains a mystery.

NASA keeps sending me invitations to apply for credentials, but always adds a disclaimer saying that due to Covid restrictions, almost nobody will be accepted. Why not just reach out directly to the ten people you want to cover your events. I have no plans to return to Florida anyway, but it is frustrating that it appears to be coming much more difficult to cover launches at Kennedy Space Center. I'm not even sure that I have a media sponsor anymore since my editor is no longer working at Spaceflight Magazine. I wonder how long it will take me to get to know the new editor?

I walked several miles at the gym today, but my pace was so slow that it hardly registered on my Fitbit. I was so cold today that I wished I'd worn a jacket to the gym. This is another odd side effect of my hospitalization and surgeries. I'm perpetually cold now. The temperatures outside are near 100 degrees but I'm wearing a jacket around the house. I guess I could turn the thermostat up, but Janet and Dawn wouldn't approve. The house isn't really that cold. It's just me.

I guess I'll go to the grocery store tomorrow. There are no restrictions on shopping, just on lifting heavy objects. I'm pretty sure I can still pick up a box of strawberries. Do I even need strawberries and blueberries if I'm not fixing a smoothie every morning? Who knows. I just wish that I'd get back to my old schedule.

I've got no real plans for tomorrow. I suspect that life without a gallbladder will be exactly the same as life with a gallbladder. Maybe one of these days I'll be enthusiastic about something again. I'm not feeling it now though.

Domino is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4270

I went back to the gym today. All I did was walk around and around the indoor track, but it's a start. I'm still tired, but I didn't feel bad today. I actually think I look worse than I feel. I've got some nasty looking black and blue blotches on my stomach, but the pain is minimal now.

I called the surgical team this morning to schedule my post-op follow up visit and they told me that after reviewing all my lab reports, they didn't need to see me. Evidently, all my blood work is returning to normal and the cultured samples they took showed no growth after five days. This is all good. It appears that I am a routine case with no abnormalities at all. 

I'm glad I'm finished with the Cipro. I feel a little better already. The peripheral neuropathy I'd been feeling is much less evident today. The doctor I talked with this morning said that tendonitis wasn't much of a worry either. Evidently, a five day course of Cipro is very short. Problems with this drug are much more common when you have to take it for long periods of time.

It never got cool today. Even our sunrise walk was pretty warm. It was definitely too hot to take a sunset walk with Dawn. She doesn't seem to mind. As long as she has her spot on the bed, she's a happy dog. The heat was the main reason that I decided to return to the gym. I'm starting to get cabin fever and it's hard to stay active inside the house. I'll probably go back to the gym tomorrow. Walking around the indoor track is boring, but all my doctors says that walking is good.

Dawn seems to feel so much better now that her bladder stones are gone. I think the new allergy medicine she'd taking is helping as well. The paw licking has largely stopped and she has more energy on her walks. I wonder how long she had the stones? It could have been a long time. I've noticed that she's even been a little friendlier toward me lately. Maybe now that we are both free of stones, life will take a turn for the better.

It's weird not to have any travel plans whatsoever. Launches are still taking place at Kennedy Space Center, but Florida is such a mess that it's going to be a while before I get press credentials again. I have no desire to travel to Florida anyway. Truthfully, I don't have much of a desire to travel anywhere. There's no rush. Covid will eventually run its course and life will return to normal. In theory I'll be returning to the observatory in late October, but I suspect that this will change. With hospital admissions rising all over the state, I doubt that that they'd want to take chances with large crowds.

We'll see what happens tomorrow. Janet took the trash out to the curb this evening because I'm still not supposed to lift anything. I wonder if I'll ever feel like having a smoothie again. I've completely lost my taste for these things. This is very strange, since I've enjoyed my morning smoothies for years. I don't like change, but I think I've dealt with last week's changes fairly well. I'm very glad that I'm a reasonably healthy person. Illness of any sort is for the birds.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4269

Another long, uneventful day. I finished taking my antibiotics this morning, so hopefully the weird Cipro induced side effects will stop soon. For some reason I don't feel like having a smoothie for breakfast anymore. Very strange. I've been eating shredded wheat for the time being and having a very light dinner. I probably should be eating more, but my appetite is gone.

I drove to the post office after breakfast and mailed the letter to my sister. No problems driving. I'm not going to be driving anywhere far for a while though. My digestive system still hasn't returned to normal and it's still good to have a bathroom nearby. Janet thinks I ought to start going back to the gym and walking around the indoor track. Maybe next week. I'm still feeling a little nauseous even though the hospital drugs should be completely out of my system by now.

I think today might have been the hottest day of the year so far. We walked very early this morning, but it was starting to feel warm even before sunrise. I didn't take an evening walk because it was too hot. Dawn still wanted to go to training class though. Somehow she knows that Wednesday evening is her day and starts whining to go to class right after dinner. Janet said everything was fine because it cools off quickly after the sun goes down.

Now that the excess fluids the hospital pumped me up with have mostly been eliminated, I feel like my skin is one size too big for my body. Old skin is not very flexible. It's going to take a long time to get back in shape again. Oh, well. I certainly don't have much else to do this month. I'm definitely getting better, so I really need to work on getting strong again. Today I just felt like sleeping all day and that's not a good thing. There's really no reason to feel discouraged. I survived a somewhat serious condition and am on the mend.

I'm fully vaccinated and always carry a mask with me, but I'm getting sick of all the gaslighting and virtue signaling. Have you noticed that the people who are quickest to call someone else selfish are the very same people who were the first to resume traveling, going to sporting events and concerts, and hanging out with their friends. Who's really being selfish here? It's fine if you want to criticize the unvaccinated but let's get real. How about criticizing all the fat people, smokers, and substance abusers who have been clogging up our healthcare system for decades. It's easy to criticize others. A little harder to change your own behavior. 

I'm a bit conflicted here. I'm a very disciplined person, but did I do something wrong that caused my own hospitalization? How hard will it be to change my behavior? They say gallstones are primarily caused by when bile contains too much cholesterol for the liver to dissolve or bilirubin levels are too high. My blood work is typically normal and my cholesterol has been under control for ages. I think I have a healthy diet, but maybe not. My smoothie is probably way too sweet and I know I don't drink enough water. I eat plenty of fresh vegetables but I also love smoked meats, pizza and pasta. 

Tomorrow is another day. Hopefully I can find something interesting to keep me occupied. Recovery is slow and I'm not terribly patient.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4268

I really miss my long walks in the park. These walks provided a much needed sense of purpose. Sure, I was really just killing time, but it was easy to convince myself that I was doing something important. Hey, as you grow older, staying active and healthy actually is important. Sadly, I'm going to have to wait a while until I can get back on the trails. I can take short walks for now, but my doctors say it will be at least three weeks before I'll be able to resume any semblance of my normal activities.

With each passing day I continue to feel a little better. I think I can attribute most of the weirdness I'm feeling now to the Cipro I have to continue taking. Cipro has a number of unfortunate side effects and I seem to be affected by several of them. Cipro is known to cause peripheral neuropathy and I am feeling an odd tingling sensation in my fingers and legs when I am inactive. This may also be caused by poor circulation, since my resting heart rate is curently much lower than normal. I'm blaming the Cipro though. Cipro also causes headaches and I have one right now. Luckily, I was prescribed a short course of this drug. I only have three pills left and I'll be done tomorrow evening.

We are having a mild heat wave. The temperature got up to 97 degrees today. Our sunrise walk with Dawn was fairly normal, but you could tell it was going to be hot later in the day. We didn't take Dawn on a sunset walk because we were afraid the pavement was too hot for her paws. Dawn certainly didn't seem to mind staying inside. I should have stayed home as well, but I felt like I needed to move. I hate being cooped up all day. I waited until it was just about dark and then took a short one mile walk. I was a little tired when I returned home, but I got to see a pretty sunset. I definitely needed the exercise.

Today wasn't very productive. I watered a few plants, wrote a letter to my sister, and made an appointment for later in September to see my gastrointestinal doctor. They want to review their Barrett's esophagus diagnosis with me. I think they'll want to do some biopsies of the esophagus to check for precancerous cells. Unfortunately, this means another hospital visit, but I think the dreaded event is at least three months away.

I wonder where people find the strength to deal with serious illness? My Dad dealt with Parkinson's disease for decades and my sister has been in and out of hospitals for years. I've generally been the healthy one in the family. I did have Hepatitis C but that was the hospital's fault. It's hard to believe now, but hospitals used to routinely buy blood from winos on the street. It's amazing we all lived through the 60's and 70's. In the grand scheme of things, my surgery last week was minor. It has redoubled my resolve to stay healthy though. I don't have that much time left and I want to enjoy it.

Hard to believe that tomorrow will be September. Where did this year go? 2020 and 2021 have all just blurred together. I wonder if things will ever return to normal? Covid boosters will probably be just like flu shots in the future. The work world will never be the same. I never thought I'd see the day when companies of all sizes were begging for workers and the unemployed still didn't want to work. There is a tendency to blame someone else for everything now. Nobody wants to take personal responsibility for their own lives any more. It's all pretty sad. I'm convinced that the country will remain permanently divided and this won't be good for anyone. We live in strange times. I'm just glad I had a chance to grow up in world that was a much better place.

Domino is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4267

Today's big event was the first shower I've had in over a week. It felt good to be clean again. Not only did I get the OK from my doctors to take a shower, I am also able to discontinue a lot of the meds the hospital prescribed when I was released. The only drug I need to continue is the Cipro. I'm not entirely happy about this, since Ciprofloxacin has a lot of dangerous side effects. I wish they'd given me something else. Once you start a course of antibiotics, you need to finish it though. I'm basically stuck with this. At least I can stop the laxatives, stool softeners, and the Tylenol. I have no idea why they gave me so much Tylenol. I took a ton of Tylenol last week and it basically did nothing.

I got a lot done today. I called all the people I was asked to follow up with. One doctor said I called too early and another never answered my voicemail. Hey, I did my job though. I talked to the observatory folks and told them I won't be able to come out in September. I talked to a nurse, who answered some of my questions about medications and bruising. Basically, I'm doing everything right and most of my worries are unfounded. It doesn't help that I'm a hypochondriac who is very good at doing online research. I've found all kinds of little inconsistencies in my treatment. I need to just let it go. The doctors still know way more than I do.

Life is fairly boring. There are still a lot of restrictions. No heavy lifting or strenuous activity is allowed. Janet even has to empty the dehumidifier. No alcohol either. That sucks. I'm not supposed to drive for a while, but I probably wouldn't de driving much anyway. A lot of these restrictions go away fairly soon since I appear to be recovering well. I can still walk, although one of the side effects of Cipro is tendinitis. I don't think gentle, slow walks would cause tendon rupture, but who knows. I can't wait to get off these drugs. 

We took our sunrise and sunset walks today. The sunrise walk was pleasant, but the sunset walk was a little hot. Dawn did well though and didn't get overheated. Our little one mile loop is just about right for both of us. It will be at least three weeks before I can begin walking longer. I think they want me to wait six weeks before returning to the gym. It's going to be a long, uneventful month. 

I didn't visit the Dalmatians today, but Janet did. Bullet has gone to his forever home. I knew he'd find a home fast. I marked Bullet as adopted on the website and keep hoping that Charlie and Cooper will find homes as well. They are great dogs, but both have had bite incidents in the past. It's a shame that their past is making it more difficult to find a bright future. Any dog will bite, given the right circumstances. Charlie and Cooper really deserve a second chance.

You watch a lot of television when you are housebound. I'm finally caught up on current events. All I've got to say is that when you sink the ship, you can't really brag about how many lifeboats you have. The way we exited Afghanistan was shameful. What a colossal blunder. We left people behind. We surrendered to the Taliban. And we're no better off than we were twenty years ago. I hope you guys who wanted 'an adult in the room' are happy now. Too bad you got 'Weekend at Bernies' instead.

Tessa is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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