Day 4779

What a dismal day. It was cold and raining when we woke up. It rained all day and it hasn't stopped yet. Needless to say, Dawn didn't get her sunrise walk. She didn't even want to go outside. I immediately started the pumps on the roof and prepared myself for the worst. At first I thought I was going to get lucky, but I set the buckets out anyway. I managed to finish breakfast before I started hearing the all too familiar sound of dripping water. The big leak today was located in the office, but I see some staining in the kitchen above Dawn's water bowl. I'm afraid there will be more leaks before this rain ends.

There wasn't much I could do today. I checked the weather radar frequently, but the storm was huge and covered much of Texas. It could have been worse I guess. At least we weren't getting snow like they are are in the panhandle or tornado warnings like they were in Houston. The roof blew off the animal shelter in Pasadena, Texas and all the dogs were left exposed to the weather. Hopefully things will be better tomorrow. I think the rain is supposed to end by midnight.

It was pretty clear that I wasn't going to get 20,000 steps today. A walk in the park was out of the question, so I reluctantly got in the car and went to the gym. You can tell I've become obsessed with getting my steps because I definitely do not like driving in the rain. I'm always glad for heated seats and a heated steering wheel on a cold day like this. I need new wiper blades though.

The gym was crowded today. I guess a lot of people had the same idea I had. I walked three miles around the indoor track to get my minimum 10,000 steps for the day and close all three rings on my Apple watch. At least I kept up a decent pace today. Usually I'm slow on the indoor track. I had planned to work on my upper body strength while I was at the gym, but after finishing my three mile walk I felt like I'd had enough. I did use the leg press for a bit, but didn't even bother shooting baskets. Rain really puts a damper on my mood.

There's going to be a NASA Social for the Crew 6 launch at the end of February and I can't decide whether to apply. NASA discontinued these events for social media influencers during the Covid years, but they are slowly starting to return. I've been to a few of these and sometimes they provide even better access than press credentials. Since I can't afford that many trips to Florida this year, I'll have to look at the 2023 launch schedule and see if there are more interesting things in the future. I'll think about it. I'm not even sure my application would be approved since NASA tends to favor newcomers now. I've already been to five of these NASA Socials.

I'm getting tired of listening to the roof leak drip. The leak isn't far from my desk and it's a constant reminder that the house needs a new roof. I still haven't decided on a roofing contractor. I have gotten several bids, but all have left something to be desired. Why is a flat roof so expensive. I may get one or two more bids, but I really have to do something this year. Old houses and flat roofs aren't a good combination.

We probably will wait another week before visiting the rescue Dalmatians at their new kennel. The kennel said that Wednesday was the best day to visit. but it doesn't look like tomorrow is going to be a good day. I think we will be playing with the dogs outside and ir would be better to wait until the weather was warmer and the ground was dry.

I don't have big expectations for tomorrow. I just hope the roof stops leaking.

Holly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4778

I'm getting apprehensive about the weather again. We're supposed to get a lot of rain and possibly even snow tomorrow. This means that the roof will inevitably start leaking and I'll be back to square one with my cleanup efforts. To say that I'm getting tired of this would be an understatement. At this point I just hope the forecast is wrong. It often is.

Today was a another day of long walks and paying bills. I extended my 20,000 step streak to six days. I think that's a record for me. It's going to be hard to make it a full week though if it rains tomorrow. We'll see what happens. I hate the thought of driving to the gym in the rain tomorrow, but I can't just sit around the house all day. Walking brings a necessary structure to my life. I need to keep walking.

It's time to start working on my taxes again. I had a talk with my accountant today about whether it was time to stop filing as a business. Am I retired or not? I'm certainly busy enough. I still build and maintain animal rescue websites and I regularly write for SpaceFlight Magazine. The British magazine even calls me their U.S. Correspondent now. The only problem is that I'm not making any money. I think a business has to make money at least two years out of five. I need to find a gig with a magazine that actually pays for content. Easier said than done though. Especially when all you want to write about is astronomy and space. The magazine industry is not very healthy. I used to receive a ton of trade magazines at the house. Most of them are out of business now.

All the extra walking I'm doing is killing my feet. I probably need to retire my current pair of Hoka shoes and break out a new pair. I have one fairly new pair of Bondi 7 shoes that I just use when I travel and a brand new pair that I got just before they discontinued this style. My current shoes still feel comfortable but I'm sure they are not providing the support I need. The soles and heal areas are completely worn out. It's too bad that sneakers don't last like boots. I've got twenty year old hiking boots that are in better shape than my two year old Hokas.

Tonight there was a conjunction of Venus and Saturn right after sunset that astronomer friends said was a must see event. It's not happening. It was clear for most of the day, but clouds have rolled in and the skies are overcast now. This is probably the beginning of the bad weather that is supposed to start later tonight. There is also a green comet in the northern skies that people are talking about. I'll probably never find this. I had trouble finding Neowise a few years ago and it was much brighter. Lately my only connection with astronomy is testing the Benro Polaris star tracker every time a new firmware update comes out.

We were thinking about visiting the rescue Dalmatians this Wednesday but we'll wait and see what the weather is like. It's a long drive to this new kennel and it looks like we'll be playing with them outdoors instead of indoors like we did at the old kennel. Weather and rain will be an issue. I have a feeling that we won't end up visiting every week like we used to. We'll figure out something though. Janet and I still think socializing the dogs is important.

There's nothing on the agenda for tomorrow. I'll probably spend most of the day fretting about roof leaks.

Chloe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4777

I did a whole lot of walking today. I really wanted to have five 20,000 step days in a row, so I ended up taking four walks. We started off with Dawn's sunrise walk. Then I went mall walking at Northpark. When I returned it was time for Dawn's Sunday outing. Finally, to push me over my 20,000 step goal, I took another walk in the park. Walking was enjoyable. Watching the Dallas Cowboys playoff game later in the day, not so much. It looks like it's going to be a long time before the Cowboys ever get to the Super Bowl again.

It was really chilly this morning. I think Dawn thought we were crazy for taking an early walk when she could have been sleeping an extra hour in our bed. She got her reward when we returned though. She gets to have a little bacon when we have our Sunday morning breakfast. I rarely cook since Janet is a much better cook than I am. I made French Toast this morning though. Every once in a while, French Toast hits the spot.

Northpark seemed kind of empty this morning. Maybe I was a little early, but there were a lot fewer walkers today. All the Christmas decoration were gone and so were most of the sale signs in the store windows. I'm still surprised at how rapidly stores open and close at the mall. Every week there is something new. Two new stores opened for the first time this week, but even more seem to have disappeared. There were a lot of boarded-up storefronts this week. It's probably because the rent is so high. A lot of stores probably can't afford to stay at this location.

It still seem weird to me that I always walk slower when I'm inside. The temperature is always pleasant and the terrain is flat. You'd think I'd walk faster here. Of all the walks I took today, my Northpark indoor walk was the slowest. Maybe I'm slower because I'm looking in the store windows. I'm not conscious of walking slower as I pass the window displays, but maybe looking at things slows me down. Apparently watching ducks and animals when I'm outside doesn't slow me down.

When we took Dawn on her Sunday outing, it was foot pain that slowed me down. Dawn and Janet finished the one mile walk well ahead of me. Dawn is always really excited to go on these Sunday outings.     As soon as the car starts though, her excitement turns to panic. After all this time you'd thing she'd know where we were going. Apparently not. Every day is a new day for Dawn. She really enjoys this new and different walk though. There are all kinds of new things to smell.

Our ice cream was really soft this morning. The quality of the cones seems to change from week to week. Dawn doesn't seems to care whether the cones are firm or soft, but a soft cone makes for a messier experience. When Dawn licks a soft cone there's always more of a mess in the car.

I was hoping that our Sunday outing would get me over 20,000 steps, but unfortunately it didn't. After resting a bit I took one final walk on a path where I used to see owls. I haven't used this route for quite a while and was curious to see if anything had changed. Everything looked more or less the same, but there were no owls and the nest that used to be up in a tall tree was gone. I did see some Great Egrets though and it was a beautiful clear day, so all was not lost.

Not a bad day, all things considered. I even managed to get some laundry done. Tomorrow it's back to my routine weekday schedule. I think we're due for more rain and even colder weather this week. I'm not looking forward to that. I'm tired of this runny nose I've got and am really ready for Spring.

Raider is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4776

Grocery shopping provides a unique window into what is happening in the world. It isn't pretty. Prices keep increasing. Variety and selection seems to be decreasing. There are a lot more empty shelves than there used to be. Stores like Costco and Sam's Club keep replacing national brands with their own private label brands. Prices are lower on these private label brands, but so is the quality. I suspect that these stores know that price matters a lot more to their customers than quality. You might not notice many changes on a week-to-week basis, but if you keep track of things, you will definitely notice that a lot has changed in a year. I find this all very disappointing. Younger people never experienced better times and nobody listens to older people, so the world just keeps deteriorating.

The sun was already up when we took Dawn on her early walk this morning. That was fine by me. I get my best sleep just before it is time to get up. A few hours of extra sleep is great. I thought I'd start sleeping well again after I returned from Florida, but so far that hasn't been the case. I've had sinus congestion all week and I have to sleep on my back to keep my nose clear. I fall asleep much faster when I sleep on my stomach, but the nasal congestion turns me into a mouth breather and I wake up with a dry mouth in the middle of the night. I don't do well with over-the-counter decongestants, so I just get irritated and wonder how I got this head cold. I felt fine in Florida. Maybe it's just allergies. I could easily be allergic to something in the house.

I didn't accomplish much today. Grocery shopping took longer than usual because the stores were crowded. My walk in the park took longer because I woke up tired and walked slowly. The weather was a lot colder than yesterday. I have trouble deciding what to wear on these walks. If it's a windy day, I freeze down by the shoreline. If the sun pops out from behind a cloud on a calm day, I'm usually too hot. I can either dress for the first part of the walk or the last part. Today I was cold for the first few miles, but was fine on my way home. I noticed today that the city has fenced off a large area near the eagle's nest. Maybe they haven't noticed that the eagles don't seem to be using the nest anymore. It's weird that the city seems to be doing a much better job of protecting the eagles than protecting the people. I still don't feel safe in this park after dark.

I don't know what it's going to take to get me back to the gym. I had the best of intentions today, but after I brought the groceries home, I didn't feel like going out again. I was actually pretty close to the gym when I was out shopping, but I didn't want the food to go bad in the car. Oh, well. The gym isn't going away. One of these days I'll start using it again. For now, it's a lot easier to just easier to open the back door and start walking.

I need to at least make an effort to do something productive tomorrow. I'll go mall walking in the morning, but that's just another way of avoiding things. I used to always have a project I was working on, but most of these projects seem pointless now. I probably just have a bad case of 'been there, done that.' Tax season is right around the corner, so I'll have to start gathering materials for my accountant soon. Working on my upper body strength would be a good project, but so would reading a good book. Starting this blog was a project and look what that got me into. Luckily I have less than a year to go.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4775

Today was uneventful. We took our regular sunrise walk with Dawn. I had my regular breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit. I took my regular long walk in the park and somehow the day was over before I knew what happened. The days are starting to get longer now. It is still dark when we start our early walk, but the sky is lighter. Usually the sun rises while we are out walking. I'll be glad when the winter rainy season is over. It is doubtful that we will get any snow this year, but we will definitely get more rain. All the leaves are off the trees now. One more weekend of raking and bagging leaves and we'll have the yard looking good again.

This morning I received a PDF copy of my Falcon Heavy article as it will appear in the March issue of SpaceFlight. These guys are fast. I only sent them the material two days ago. The article looks good and my editor seems happy. The British magazine describes me as their U.S. correspondent now. I could probably write more articles if I could afford to go to more launches. It's a shame that I'm not in demand as a web designer anymore. Travel is expensive and I could use the extra income.

I've been doing pretty good at walking this week. This was my third 20,000 step day in a row. It's easy to walk 10,000 steps in a day. A little harder to reach 20,000 steps. I hope I can keep this up. Almost every week I hear of friends my age starting to have health problems. I'd like to keep old age at bay for as long as I can. It's inevitable that I'm going to start falling apart at some point, but there's a lot more that I'd like to do. It's encouraging when I read about healthy, active people in their 90's. It's not common, but it is possible.

I cleaned my cameras and put them away this afternoon. Now there is no evidence in the office that I've been out of town recently. I don't know how the cameras get so dirty when I'm down at the space center. There are almost always fingerprints on the lenses. A lot of things happen very quickly during a launch and frequently these launches take place at night. It's really easy to put your hands in the wrong place when you are in a hurry to change settings. It's also really easy to knock something out of focus. I got a lot of really nice pictures on this trip, but my automated launch sequence camera malfunctioned and I didn't get any close-up pictures of the rocket leaving the pad. Luckily the second camera worked just fine.

I always learn something on these trips. I've seen several photographers add a horizontal bar to their tripod, allowing them to mount and control several cameras on a single tripod. Currently I only take a single camera and tripod, but I could easily pack a second camera body. With two cameras I could take close up pictures of the rocket and do a streak shot of the launch. These streak shots seem quite popular now and are often quite beautiful. I also could use a larger camera bag that was exactly the same length as the top of my carry-on luggage. This is not a popular size, but I'm sure I could find something if I looked hard enough. A longer telephoto lens would be nice, but now we're talking big bucks. My 800mm is probably good enough.

I'm just rambling today because nothing really happened. Tomorrow I'll do my weekly grocery shopping and I'll make an effort to go to the gym. 

April is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4774

Sometimes I wonder whether taking business online has solved anything. I spent a huge amount of time this morning paying bills, renewing credit card information, updating passwords, and making appointments. I remember the days where you just could call someone on the phone and they would answer immediately and resolve your problem. I also liked working on a big desk where you could spread lots of paper all over the place and look at everything at once. Screen real estate is awkward for me when I am doing my accounting. I have a large screen on my desktop computer, but it is almost impossible to keep all the windows I need open at the same time. Lets face it. I have become a Luddite, just like my sister. I'm not sure I want to go all the way back to the 1950's, but the 60's and 70's would be fine.

Since I have received several reminders to renew my driver's license, I went on the DPS website this morning to make an appointment. When did appointments start being required? I've been renewing by mail for quite a while, but this year I have to renew in person. When I used to renew my license in person I would just go down to the nearest renewal office a few days before my birthday and get a new license on the spot. When I went to the website this morning, the earliest appointment they had was late in May. Jeez. No wonder everyone was urging me to renew now. This is just one more example of a world that is slowly crumbling to dust. Almost nothing works smoothly anymore.

My editor as SpaceFlight likes my article and pictures and says it will run in the March issue. He wants me to go down to Johnson Space Center in April and cover the Mars CHAPEA experiment. CHAPEA is a long, awkward acronym standing for Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, whatever that means. NASA is building a full scale 3D printed Mars surface habitat to simulate what astronauts might experience on a long duration mission. They are giving the press a tour of this habitat sometime in April, and I'm invited if I can stand going to Houston again. I can't remember a single time that I've had a good experience on a trip to Houston. It's one of my least favorite cities. I think I'd much rather go back to McDonald Observatory in April.

I wrote my monthly letter to my sister today and took it to the post office. Sending letters through the mail is definitely old school, but it makes sense to me. The time lag involved in sending a letter slows things down to a reasonable pace. My e-mail correspondence is getting ridiculous. Everyone expects a reply the same day. Those folks who insist on texting are even worse. You are expected to reply to text messages immediately.

When all my unpleasant computer business was finished, I took a long walk in the park. It was a little chilly when we walked Dawn early this morning, but by this afternoon it had warmed up quite a bit and was quite pleasant outside. I had an enjoyable walk and managed to complete another 20,000 step day. Almost every day I have plans to go to the gym because I really need to work on my upper body strength. When the time comes, it is always easier to just take a walk. I probably should just start doing some work with free weights here at home. Actually, I see a few five pound weights sitting over in the corner of the office. I guess that would be a good place to start.

It's been a busy week full of small problems. Sunday's Falcon Heavy launch seems like ancient history now. It's funny. Whenever I'm traveling I'd usually rather be home. When I actually am at home though, I'd always rather be traveling. 

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4773

We moved the rescue Dalmatians to their new kennel this morning. The dogs have been in limbo at a temporary facility for several months while the rescue group looked for a replacement for Waggin Tails, which unfortunately shut down. The new place is very nice and we hope the dogs will be happy there until they find their forever homes.

We picked up the dogs at the rescue group's veterinary clinic, where they all had just received a bath. Landry, our newest rescue, rode with Janet and I to the new kennel. He is a handsome two year old male, and like many of our rescue dogs, it was hard to believe he was an owner surrender. Who could give up a dog like this? Landry was well behaved in the car and seemed a little scared. His nervousness was certainly understandable. The poor guy has been through a lot of changes in the last month or so. His life is going to take a turn for the better though. We're going to find him a great home with someone who realizes that having a dog is a lifelong commitment.

The new kennel is further away than the old kennel, but is is very clean and well managed. Everyone who helped with moving the dogs this morning liked the place and we think the dogs will like it too. Janet and I will be able to visit the dogs as well. We might not be able to visit quite as often because the kennel is quite a bit further from our house, but regular visits are important. Playing with the dogs and working on basic training will help socialize them and hopefully ensure a successful adoption.

Our winter weather continues to be full of surprises. It was quite warm today, which makes for pleasant walks. We walked Dawn in the dark again this morning because Janet had an early class at the gym. Dawn could care less whether it is dark or light outside. All she is interested in are the smells. She loves to smell things in the park. There are tons of critters who call the place home and Dawn is curious about all of them. We saw some bunnies this morning. We're seeing a lot more bunnies this year, which probably means there are fewer coyotes in the area.

I proofread my SpaceFlight article several times and selected several pictures to accompany it before sending everything off to my editor in London. I was fairly pleased with the article and hope the magazine likes it as well. Most of my pictures turned out well, but the camera I set up to take an automated launch sequence malfunctioned, so I didn't get good photos of the rocket leaving the pad. Everything else turned out excellent though. It might be a while before my next article. These trips are becoming a lot more expensive and I don't think I can afford to go to Kennedy Space Center more than a couple of times a year.     I still love to chase rockets though, so I'll find a way to get down there for important launches.

I did a lot better on my long walk today than I did yesterday. I completed my full six miles and got over 20,000 steps. The nice weather helped me maintain a pretty good pace today. The temperature was about 68 degrees and there was no wind. For me, this is just about perfect. I'm wondering if the eagles have moved on. I haven't seen Nick and Nora for over a month now. Another Muscovy Duck joined the small group that lives near Sunset Bay. I wonder where this one came from? Unlike the mallards, geese, and white pelicans which tend to travel in large groups, these Muscovy Ducks are loners. Maybe that's why they seem interesting to me.

Dawn got another ribbon at training class tonight. She's a smart dog and has won more ribbons than Dash by now. Janet says she really enjoys the class too. All in all it was a good day. Life is good as long as I keep the TV turned off and don't have to hear about current events. I prefer my own little world.

Dovey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4772

I hate Bluehost. I practically spent all day trying to get my e-mail account to work and each time I called customer service their suggestions made the problem even worse. In the beginning only the laptop e-mail didn't work. All I wanted to do was enter the desktop settings in the laptop, but when I tried to sync the two computers, the bad laptop passwords got transferred into my desktop computer instead. Now both computers couldn't send or receive e-mail. Bluehost customer service wouldn't tell me what my good passwords were, so they advised me to delete my account and start over. When I tried this I had even more Bluehost passwords stored in my Apple Internet settings and none of them seemed to work. After a while nothing associated with Bluehost would work. I couldn't access sealander.com or even the Dalmatian Rescue website.

Customer service kept telling me that it wasn't their problem and to call AT&T instead. I knew this wasn't the issue, but I did call and AT&T ran some tests and said everything looked good on their end. Offshore customer service reps are frustrating to begin with. They are off in India or Malaysia and it is very hard to understand what they are saying. They must all be in a big room somewhere because you can hear lots of other service representatives talking in the background. The phone connection always seems very poor as well. I talked to three different Bluehost customer service reps today and none of them were able to help. They didn't even seem to want to help. These guys kept saying that I had configured my computer wrong. Nope. The computer was configured correctly. It could connect to everything else in the world, except the Bluehost servers.

I shut everything down, took my long walk, and ate dinner. This evening I tried to configure Apple Mail again using the same setting I'd been using all day and everything worked. I hadn't changed anything. Why couldn't Bluehost just admit to me that the problem was on their end? They kept trying to pass the buck and blame someone else. I'd switch my account but almost everyone is using offshore customer service these days. Most of these people are just reading from a script. I miss the days when you could call a real software engineer who actually understood your problems and could come up with a solution on the spot. Apple certainly isn't helping things either. There are settings stored in System Preferences, in your Browser Preferences, and in Apple Mail that all have to match. Sometime there are iCloud settings as well.

Needless to say, I didn't get my article about the Falcon Heavy launch to my editor today. I'll try again tomorrow, assuming that I don't lose all my setting again overnight. I can't believe how much time I wasted on this today. Dawn got a nice walk in the morning, but I took a much shorter walk about 3 PM because I was tired and more than a bit frustrated.

We're going to move the rescue Dalmatians to a new kennel tomorrow. They've been in  a temporary kennel for months now and Janet and I haven't been able to visit them. Now that the dogs have a permanent home again, we should be able to go play with them on a regular basis. We have some new dogs now and Janet and I should have a chance to meet them tomorrow. Visiting the dogs will be a nice change of pace from today's Internet woes. Today wasn't a total loss though. I did get everything from my trip unpacked and put away and did a load of laundry.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4771

I said goodbye to Florida today. For a while I didn't think I'd be able to say hello to Texas though. In less than a month, Southwest Airlines seems to have gone from being one of the best airlines in the country to one of the worst. My flight was delayed before I even left Titusville. When I got to the airport, I discovered that it had been delayed even further. I also discovered that my plane was at a Delta terminal gate instead of at the regular Southwest terminal. Nobody ever explained why. 

Evidently my flight had arrived from Jamaica before heading on to Dallas. They wanted everyone from Jamaica off the place to go through customs in Orlando before getting back on to continue their flight to Dallas. Not surprisingly this took a while and caused the second delay. A third even stranger delay occurred after we were already on the plane. Two gay guys and a woman with kids were fighting over a group of seats toward the back of the plane that they both claimed were theirs. Neither party wanted to give an inch. The plane was completely full, so there weren't a lot of seating options available. The rest of the passengers kept wondering why the airline didn't just kick these unruly people off the plane so we could be on our way. Nope. They brought in some kind of negotiator to reason with them instead. This took a while too. We were on the ground for an additional 45 minutes. I imagine that they promised the squabbling passangers free vouchers if they would just shut up and sit down.

I wanted to return to Dallas earlier, but when the USSF-67 Mission was delayed for a day and I had to reschedule my reservation, tonight's Monday evening flight was the best I could do. My Airbnb host was extremely nice and let me check-out at 3 PM instead of their normal 11 AM departure. This was great and meant that I didn't need to spend all day sitting at the airport. You might have thought that I would have wanted to go to a museum or do something fun with my extra time. Unfortunately my rental car was an SUV with no trunk and I didn't want to leave my cameras and luggage in plain sight while I was doing something else. Staying at the Airbnb a little longer turned out to be a good idea. I had time to finish my article for SpaceFlight Magazine and get some additional exercise walking around the neighborhood.

I had the time, so I decided to explore the nature trail I discovered yesterday. I didn't encounter an alligator, but I'm pretty sure that a few saw me. The trail wandered through a heavily forested area with swampy lagoons, lots of native palm trees, and some huge cypress trees with lots of Spanish Moss hanging from the limbs. I heard lots of strange bird sounds I'd never encountered before, but saw very few birds. They were well hidden in the tall trees. I'm sure there were snakes, but luckily I didn't see any.

I tried my best to sleep in late today, but I woke up early like I always do when I'm traveling. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, but once you are awake you might as well get up. I think one reason I don't sleep well is soft beds. Hotels almost always have soft beds and apparently so do Airbnb rentals. Some people find a soft bed comfortable, but I like an extremely firm mattress. Sometime I feel like sleeping on the floor, but lord knows what lurks on strange floors. I'll get a lot more sleep now that I'm home. We'll still have to get up early to take Dawn on her sunrise walk though. 

I'll probably spend most of the day tomorrow unpacking, doing laundry, and sorting through all the pictures I took. There are some interesting launches this year, but I don't know when I'll be down at Kennedy Space Center again. These trips are getting more expensive and I'm definitely not becoming wealthy. My left hand starts to go numb on long drives too. Maybe I grip the steering wheel too hard. Who knows? This isn't much of an issue when driving between Orlando and Titusville, but I seriously wonder if I could make the drive out to McDonald Observatory anymore.

As soon as I post this I"m headed straight for bed. It's been a very long day and I'm tired.

Shelby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4770

Today's Falcon Heavy launch was a resounding success and ended up being one of the most beautiful launch events I have ever witnessed. What a difference a day makes. It was warmer today, the skies were clear, and there was no wind. The timing for this mission was perfect. The launch took place right at sunset, and as the rocket rose through the atmosphere, the exhaust plumes from the three boosters glowed with fantastic sunset colors. 

You could see the two side boosters detach from the center core high in the atmosphere and begin the boost back burns that would return them to landing zones LZ-1 and LZ-2 at Kennedy Space Center. Shortly after the side boosters landed we heard the two very loud double sonic booms that have become a signature of Falcon Heavy launches. From our vantage point at the NASA Press Site, you could hear these sonic booms ricochet off the nearby Vertical Assembly Building making a strange high pitched ringing sound each time the sound hit the building.

It was worth waiting an additional day to see this launch, but I'll be glad to be back in Dallas tomorrow. Traveling is tiring for me. I never sleep well while traveling and according to Fitbit my resting heart rate goes way up along with my heart rate variability. Not good. I'm sure a lot of this is caused by the lack of sleep, but my poor travel diet might have something to do with this as well. It's nice to see rocket launches and look at stars under dark West Texas skies, but I think I do better in familiar surroundings, leading a somewhat dull predictable life. I eat much healthier meals when I'm home and certainly sleep a lot better. All in all I think I prefer my simple life of long walks and predictable days to unexpected surprises and excitement.

I certainly had a few unexpected surprises today. I found myself locked out of my e-mail account because the laptop reverted to the old passwords I used to use before I updated everything recently. I couldn't access the new passwords on my desktop computer at home and much to my chagrin I discovered that I never bothered to set up e-mail on my phone. Since Space X only communicates with me using e-mail, I drove out to the NASA Press Site this afternoon not knowing whether the launch had been canceled or not. 

Luckily the launch was right on schedule. The iPhone app I use to remotely trigger my cameras is such a battery hog that my phone completely died shortly after the launch. I did get the photos I need though. When I was putting my equipment away I thought my phone was broken, but then I remembered that the battery was probably dead. It did feel a bit weird to drive back to Titusville realizing that I had no way to communicate with anyone. I had a brief scare when the rental car automatic transmission wouldn't go into gear at the Press Site and then I noticed that I hadn't closed the driver's side door completely. Strangely, the warning light on the dash didn't say "door open" or anything remotely understandable. It just said "transmission not engaged." That seemed alarming, but everything ended well and I'm back at the Airbnb now.

Even though it was a busy day out at the Press Site, I still managed to get my Fitbit steps and close all three rings on my Apple Watch. I even found time to get started on my article for SpaceFlight Magazine. I kept wondering why I was seeing other people out walking today and then I remembered it was Sunday. The last time I stayed at this Airbnb during the middle of the week and didn't see anymore. They were all at work. I just walked around the neighborhood today, even though there was a hiking trail nearby. I was curious about the hiking trail but was afraid I'd run into an alligator. 

I was determined not to eat any more restaurant food, so I got a chicken Caesar salad and a small quiche for dinner at the grocery store and ate in my room after I returned from the launch. I often forget how lucky I am to live in Texas. Food and gas prices are higher in Florida and I hear that Florida prices are still much better than the rest of the country. It's hard to buy for one. Most portion sizes are too large and when you can find a single serve size of just about anything, the price is always $4.99. It's easy to spend more than you think on a simple meal. Picking up something at a grocery store is still much cheaper than going to a restaurant though. What ever happened to $5.00 hamburgers? A burger and a beer will cost you more than twenty dollars these days.

I'm ready to come home and resume my simple life. Hopefully Dawn will be glad to see me again. You never know with that dog.

Betty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4769

No launch today. The USSF-67 Mission was scrubbed right after lunch and will be rescheduled for tomorrow. I began to suspect that something might be wrong when we went out to the launch pad and the rocket wasn't vertical yet. There's a lot that still needs to be done once the rocket is vertical on the pad and they were running out of time. Space X had no real explanation for the delay. They just said that the rocket wasn't ready yet.

These type of delays happen surprisingly frequently. They are frustrating but there is nothing you can do when a launch is scrubbed. I scrambled quickly and changed all my reservations. I got the last seat on a Monday flight to Dallas and was able to extend my stay at the Airbnb as well. I've got plenty of time, but the trip will be more expensive than I was planning on.

At least the weather is still good for tomorrow. The wind is dying down as well. Hopefully these are good omens. It will still be very cold unfortunately. The weather forecast says it will be 34 degrees at sunrise tomorrow morning. Yikes. I was already freezing this morning when the temperature was 37 degrees. This is two coat weather for me and unfortunately I only brought one coat with me. Temperatures this low are rare for this part of Florida. I guess the weather is crazy everywhere these days.

Since there was no launch today, I went out to the Canaveral National Seashore instead. It's a beautiful place and I always like to visit when I've got the time. You can see the space center from the beach and I noticed that the Falcon Heavy rocket is vertical now. That's another good sign. There were a few brave souls swimming in the ocean today. This seemed strange since a lot of people on the shore were wearing parkas. Who knows. Maybe the ocean water was warmer than the air.

My diet always suffers when I travel. I had barbecue for lunch and a hamburger for dinner. I have no willpower. I guess I could have ordered a salad, but restaurant salad dressings are full of fat as well. I'm really glad that Janet fixes healthy meals. She's probably added years to my life. My original plan was to fix all my own meals at the Airbnb, but boredom set in and I went to a restaurant instead. We'll see if I can stay more disciplined tomorrow and Monday. Probably not.

I'm always surprised at how many changes take place between my trips to Kennedy Space Center. They've moved the Artemis mobile launch platform outside and are beginning to refurbish it for the next Artemis flight. Space X has almost finished the giant Starship launch tower standing next to launch complex 39A. There are rumors that they are planning on building a second Starship launch site as well. Blue Origin keeps adding to their huge manufacturing facility near the visitor center, but I'm not sure if they're actually making anything yet. It may not be like the Apollo days, but there's a lot going on down here.

I'm glad I don't have to get up early tomorrow. I'll probably sleep in. I'm not sure what I'm going to do tomorrow morning, or Monday after the launch for that matter. It's really quiet here at the Airbnb. I'll probably end up going to the Press Site way too early tomorrow and end up sitting in my car again to stay warm. I still can't get over how cold it is in Florida. I hope the launch is successful tomorrow. This is a long trip to make if nothing happens.

Kasey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

 

Day 4768

It's been a very busy day. I made it to Florida and am looking forward to getting a little sleep before leaving early tomorrow morning to pick up my press credentials. The day started normally enough. We gave Dawn her sunrise walk and then I had my regular breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit. It didn't take me too long to finish packing, so I even had time to take a short walk in the park before leaving for the airport. Dawn is a smart dog and she knew something was different today. She seemed a little nervous when I left, but I talked to Janet later and she said Dawn was fine. Friday is grocery day, and when Janet got back to the house with groceries Dawn was a happy camper again. She'll probably be even happier when she grabs my spot on the bed tonight.

I can't say that Southwest Airlines is fine yet. They've still got some work to do to get back to normal. I wish they'd told me that they'd closed a big section of the parking garage. I didn't discover this until I was already inside the garage and couldn't get out again. It took me forever to find a parking place. I had to park in a completely different area and I'll probably have a hard time finding my car when I return.

Flights to Orlando are always completely full. It takes a long time for people to board and even longer for them to find a place for their luggage. There are usually tons of kids on the plane and I ended up sitting next to a very talkative teenager today. The kid seemed scared of flying and every time he heard a strange noise he kept asking me what the noise meant. His Mom gave him something to eat before going to her seat in the back of the plane and within ten minutes the kid had dropped his sandwich on the floor and managed to spill a big Diet Coke all over himself. Luckily the bottle wasn't pointed toward me or I would have been a sticky mess.

Even though we left Dallas late, we arrived in Orlando right on time. The pilots must have just flown a little faster while they were in the air. I always try to get a rental car with in-dash GPS but these things don't seems to exist anymore. I didn't feel like messing with CarPlay, so I just drove to my Airbnb by memory. I found the place just fine even though it was dark when I arrived. I've been to Titusville enough times now that it's beginning to seem more familiar to me than Dallas.

For some reason I've only got a one hour window to pick up my credentials early tomorrow morning. I need to be sure to set an alarm tonight because I'm tired and it would be easy to oversleep. After I pick up my badge, I will head over to the Press Site where a bus will take the launch photographers to the pad to set remote cameras and get some close up photos of the rocket before launch. These trips out to the launch pad are always my favorite part of a trip to Kennedy Space Center.

The Falcon Heavy launch itself is early tomorrow evening. It looks like it is going to be a clear day, but it will be very cold by Florida standards. The weather forecast says it will only be 36 degrees in the morning. That's colder than it is in Dallas right now. I brought some extra sweaters, but I'm beginning to think I didn't dress warmly enough. I went to a nearby grocery store after I arrived to pick up some food for my stay and it is already pretty chilly outside. This isn't like Florida at all.

I"d better post this and get some sleep. It's going to be a long day tomorrow.

Taylor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4767

Today was very busy. Dawn got a bath. I went out and got ink for both printers and got them working again. All the batteries for my devices have been charged. The laundry has been done. I've answered my e-mail and caught up on all my messages. Of course Dawn got her early morning walk and I took a longer walk later in the morning. I still haven't finished packing, but there's still time. Hey, I've got to save something for the last possible minute.

I was surprised at how cold it was this morning. It was over 80 degrees yesterday, so I expected that it would be warm today as well. Nope. Texas weather is never predictable. The temperature was in the low 40's and there was a stiff wind. I was chilly on our early walk, but Dawn seemed to love the brisk weather.

Everything I did today seemed to take twice as long as I expected. The shower drain was clogged when I took a shower. Every towel we own seemed to be in the laundry. I wanted to switch to using Firefox on my laptop, but I had trouble importing my desktop settings. I still can't decide what clothes to take to Florida. Right now it's colder down there than it is here.

I felt like skipping my long walk today, but I went ahead and got my steps. I was reasonably fast today. I had to be. I doubt that I'll have time to take a long walk tomorrow, but Dawn will still get her early morning walk. Today I walked my regular route, counted all the ducks, and made it home in time to help Janet get Dawn ready for her bath. We go to a self bathe place in the neighborhood and Dawn always gets her nails clipped and her anal glands expressed while she's there. Needless to say, bath time is not one of Dawn's favorite activities. She looks so much better though. Her coat is actually white again. It's hard to keep Dawn clean after a bath because she loves to roll in the grass. Oh, well. She'll look good for a couple of days anyway.

I guess I'll finish packing after I complete this blog post. I hate packing. No matter how hard I try, I always forget something. Sometimes it's reading glasses and toothpaste. Other times it's a raincoat, or a sweater for cool mornings. At least I'm pretty good at getting the computers and cameras ready. I can spend hours transferring information from the desktop to the laptop and then just spend a few minutes throwing some clothes into the suitcase. True luxury would be having a Titusville apartment stocked with a full complement of everything I need. That's never going to happen, but it's something to daydream about on my long walks.

I've got my writing assignments now. The article the magazine wants isn't going to be as easy as some I've written in the past, but I'm pretty sure I can deliver what is needed. I've downloaded my boarding pass on my phone, so I guess I'm ready to go. Oops. My suitcase is still empty. I guess I've still got some work to do.

Suzie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4766

Another unseasonably warm day. It got up to 80 degrees again and the air conditioner kicked in during the afternoon. This is very strange for January. It was a pleasant day though. The sky was clear and there was very little wind. Dawn definitely enjoyed her walk this morning.

I've finally managed to catch up with almost everybody I've been trying to reach. SpaceFlight is sending me author copies of the issues with my Falcon Heavy and Artemis articles. My editor has contacted me with article suggestions and I now have all the info I need from Space X for the upcoming Falcon Heavy launch. I still haven't heard back from the contractor I'm trying to reach about fixing the house, but that's an entirely separate matter.

I think the older I get the stupider I get. I had real problems today transferring information from my desktop computer to the laptop. I always do this before I travel. I recently updated all my passwords on the desktop computer to more secure versions, but I forgot that I hadn't updated the laptop. Initially, I couldn't check mail on the laptop or open several websites. I can never remember these new passwords because they are long and complex. Some passwords were easy to retrieve, but others were maddeningly frustrating. All I could see in the password field was a series of dots. Janet says I should write these things down, but I never do. I just depend on password managers. I eventually got everything on the laptop to work, but I ended up having to change a few passwords. I miss the old days when you could just use one simple password for everything.

When I was trying to print out all my travel information I discovered that both of our printers were out of ink. I hate it when the printer won't work just because your Cyan cartridge is low. Printers ought to have a black and white mode where you can just bypass the low colors. Now I've got to go out and buy more printer ink in the morning because I have to have all my contact and reservation information printed out so I can put it in a little manilla envelope that I carry with me everywhere. Just a quirk. I could probably find most of this information on my phone, but I prefer paper.

I was actually hot on my long walk this afternoon. I just wore shorts and a t-shirt and it felt like summer. We might have set another record today. I think it's colder in Titusville than it is in Dallas right now. I shouldn't complain though. 80 degrees is very pleasant even if it happens to be January. At least we aren't having torrential rain and flooding like they are in California now.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I need to pack, go get the printer ink I need, make sure all my photo equipment is working properly, wash the clothes I will be taking with me, and take my long walk. I'm sure I will forget something important on this trip. I always do. I don't think Dawn will miss me while I'm gone, but hopefully she will be glad to see me when I return.

Pepper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4765

I received a notice today that my application for press credentials was accepted, so I will be heading to Kennedy Space Center soon to attend the USSF-67 Falcon Heavy launch. These last minute notices make me nervous, but the Space X folks are probably doing the best they can. Things change rapidly with almost any launch and they probably weren't even sure the launch would take place until today's successful static fire. Hey, at least I got credentialed. The weather looks good so far as well. Airfares look terrible though. I thought Southwest would be offering some deals to win back customers after all the problems they had a few weeks ago. Nope. The current fare to Orlando was the highest I've ever seen. The Airbnb I like was open though, so that's good. I've really got to stop fretting about this stuff. There are many launch opportunities and I can only afford to go to a few of them anyway. It wouldn't have been the end of the world if I missed this one.

The laser pointer accessory I ordered for one of my star trackers arrived today but I couldn't figure out how to assemble it. I wrote the company a letter saying that I thought a part was missing. A few hours later I noticed a video on the company website with operating instructions. My bad. I just needed to unscrew the top of the unit so it would fit on the star tracker adapter. I felt kind of stupid, because after looking at the video I felt that I should have been able to figure this out myself. These type of things are going to happen more frequently now. Growing old isn't pretty.

It was foggy outside when we took Dawn on her early walk this morning. Ground fog in the park is often very pretty, but cameras and dogs don't mix well, so I didn't get any pictures. We had a nice walk though and since we started a little later, we didn't even need our flashlights.

I got a late start on my long walk today because I needed to make all my reservations for the Florida trip. By the time I left the house it was warm enough to wear shorts again. I think we set an all time temperature record today. It got up to 83 degrees. I'm sure it will get cold again, but I'll take this warmer weather whenever we can get it. It didn't feel like January at all today. It felt more like April.

I hope all these long walks are actually helping me. Sometimes I wonder. I'm certainly not building any muscle. They say building muscle mass is much harder as you grow older. I'm probably going to have to get serious and spend more time lifting weights. I'm thin enough as it is. I wish I enjoyed going to the gym, because I've certainly got the time. I prefer walking though because I can daydream and let my mind wander. I'd never make a good gym rat.

I can't decide what to write about on this trip to Florida. The USSF-67 Mission is almost identical to the USSF-44 Mission which I've already written about. I doubt that the magazine is going to be very interested in another article about the same thing. I already have a Falcon Heavy article in the January issue. Hopefully, I can think of something interesting in the next day or so because I'd like the magazine to stay interested in me.

Dawn is finally starting to relax around me. It's about time. Maybe we'll eventually end up being best buddies after all.

Murphy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4764

I finally tried to remove the brown water leak stains in the ceiling this morning. I've done this before and I tried not to make the same mistakes I usually make. The proceedure involves using a spray bottle to soak the affected areas with bleach and hope that the stain disappears. The problem is that tiny droplets of bleach sometimees go where they are not supposed to. This time I knew to wear a hat and not to wear my usual black t-shirt. I also moved everything under the stained area out of the way. I did a pretty good job. The ceiling looks much better now although a few small stained areas remain. A few droplets of bleach got on some furniture, but I cleaned them up quickly before the bleach discolored anything. Since the house smelled of bleach anyway, I also cleaned out the tubs of both dehumidifiers with bleach. These water tubs get pretty nasty after a while. I still need to replace the sheetrock in the ceiling, but I'm not going to do that until we get a new roof. The next really heavy rainstorm we get will make the leaks appear all over again. These water leaks really make me feel like Sisyphus pushing the rock up the hill.

I still haven't heard anything about the Falcon Heavy launch, but I talked with one of my launch photographer friends and the Florida folks haven't heard anything either. Who knows what is going on. I may or may not end up going to this launch and I'm beginning not to care. I do know that the launch has been postponed until Friday which is too bad because airline flights are more expensive on the weekend. Maybe I'll find out something tomorrow.

We walked Dawn in the dark again this morning. Janet likes to keep a regular work schedule even though we have both been retired for quite a while. We always get up earlier on weekdays. I could sleep until 8 AM every morning, but it's not so bad getting up early. I've got to get up at some point anyway. Dawn loves these early walks. She spends most of her time zig zagging around smelling things. At first I thought she was smelling other dogs, but we're usually the first to walk every morning, so I think she is smelling wild animals now. There are tons of animals in the park and they probably spend all night peeing on things.

Every morning I contemplate going to the gym and then end up taking my walk in the park instead. I kind of like shooting baskets at the gym, but that doesn't overcome my dislike of driving. Usually it's just general laziness that makes me choose a walk in the park. It's easy to just head out the back door and start walking. Today's walk was completely uneventful. There is no construction activity to watch anymore and lord knows where the eagles have gone. I haven't seen them in over two weeks now.

I still can't decide whether to attempt a trip out to the observatory this year. I'm pretty sure there will be events where they will need volunteers in the Spring. I'm not at all sure about the long drive though. The last time I returned home from West Texas I kept thinking that this was my last trip. The drive was very tiring. I hate to give up though. I'm determined not to wind up like my Dad, sitting on the couch and watching television all day. It's a shame that the two things I like are so far away. I do enjoy my time at the observatory though. Maybe I'll send a letter and see if they are looking for volunteers.

Tomorrow will probably be very much like today. I should make an effort to go to the gym just to do something different. We'll see.

Mack is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4763

I often think about the past as I drift off to sleep. Increasingly, much of it is a mystery. How did I find so many jobs when I was younger? I didn't know anybody and wasn't a particularly good worker. Nevertheless, I got hired again and again by some of the best ad agencies in the country. How did I live? I remember one particularly nice apartment on Capitol Hill in Seattle with a great view of a park where the art museum used to be. I remember buying art for the walls and some nice living room furniture, but I have no idea where I kept my clothes. I didn't own any cabinets and I can't even remember if there were closets in the house. I do remember that the bedroom was completely empty except for a low platform bed in the center of the room. I must have had a place to store clothes because I wore them to work every day. Where was it though? I also can't remember ever cooking meals. I must have cooked, because I can't remember going out to restaurants either. Memory gets tricky as you grow older. It's probably good that I have forgotten a lot.

It's pretty easy to remember what I do now, because I do the same things over and over again. We sleep in about a half hour later on weekends, so there is no need to walk in the dark. Weekends are the only time Janet and I eat breakfast together. We usually have bacon, eggs, and toast. Dawn gets real excited about these weekend breakfasts because she gets to have a little bacon. 

I used to go to the gym on Sunday, but since they are closed now I go walking at the mall instead. The mall is built around a big central outdoor courtyard and the distance around the perimeter stores is a little over a half mile. I make five trips around the perimeter, looking at all the window displays as I walk. The stores aren't open yet, so the only people inside are other walkers. Lots of young couples bring their children with them. This seems to be a popular place to take young children. Small kids are pushed around in strollers and slightly older kids have their own little strollers that they push around filled with dolls. More people are still wearing masks inside this mall than any other place in town. I really have no idea why. 

Once the stores start to open I have no reason to be there anymore. I try to time my walk so I'm done by the time the stores open. It's weird that the stuff in the windows seems interesting to me, but I have no desire to buy anything. Looking in the windows is kind of like listening to the radio in the car. It just gives me a little more insight into what is going on in the world. I lead a fairly isolated life, so it's good to have a clue what the rest of the world is doing. 

When I returned from mall walking today, Dawn was ready for her Sunday outing. She definitely knows when everything is supposed to happen around the house. I'm kind of amazed that her internal clock is much better than mine. The weather was nice today and we had a pleasant walk. Our Sunday walk is almost exactly the same distance as our early morning walk, but we always finish about two minutes earlier. Dawn is either excited and walks faster on these Sunday outings or doesn't stop as often to smell things. It's probably a little bit of both. 

Today the ice cream store gave Dawn a free pup cone. I don't know why they don't always do this. Dawn is always with us and it's pretty obvious that she likes ice cream. I guess it just depends on who's serving. If they like dogs, you get a pup cone. 

I still haven't heard anything about Thursday's Falcon Heavy launch. This is kind of strange, since they usually let you know even if you don't get credentialed. It looks like I'll either have to make all my reservations at the very last minute, or that I won't be going at all. I should probably just quit fretting about this. It's not like it really matters if I attend these launches or not. I'm just trying to make my life a little more interesting.

Tomorrow we start all over again. I've got a new box of shredded wheat for the week and plenty of strawberries. I'll take my walks in the park and wonder where the eagles are. If I'm lucky I may even hear something about that launch.

Jordan is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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