Day 4912

My Fitbit said I got zero sleep last night. I probably slept a little, but not much. I pulled a muscle in my shoulder and it hurts to sleep on my side like I usually do. Apparently I can't sleep on my back. The aches and pains of growing older are never ending. Hopefully, I'll sleep better tonight. Sleeping is my favorite activity.

We got an early start this morning because Janet had volunteer work she needed to do. It's hard to believe that it was completely dark when we walked at the same time last winter. Since we are approaching the longest day of the year, the sun seems to be always up now. We had a nice early walk with Dawn. She has so much energy on these walks that it's easy to forget that she spends most of the day sleeping on the bed. Dawn really enjoys smelling things in the park and is very observant. She's almost always the first to spot things on our walks. The one thing she doesn't notice are approaching bicycles. It's our job to protect her from those.

I've grown tired of watching television while I eat breakfast but can't think of anything else to occupy my time. The news is depressing. The world is a hot mess. All the cable news channels are obsessed with politics, which I have no interest in. The commercials are the worst. It seems like there are only about a dozen commercials on television and they run over and over again. Most of the commercials are for dubious pharmaceutical products. Maybe the networks know that only old people watch television these days.

I wonder how long it will be before I grow tired of eating shredded wheat and fruit for breakfast. I've gone through a seemingly endless cycle of trying different things for breakfast and nothing seems to last more than two or three years. I ate a grapefruit for breakfast for a long time. I had oatmeal for a while too. I went through a period where I made myself elaborate omelets and one of my recipes even got featured in a cookbook. Probably the period where I fixed myself a smoothie every morning lasted the longest. I tried too convince myself that these smoothies were healthy, but they were just as sweet as those drinks people love at Starbucks. Fruit is full of sugar and I put ice cream in the smoothies as well. Not surprisingly, I gained weight when I was drinking a large smoothie every morning. I doubt that I will ever return to going out to eat on Friday mornings. The restaurant meals took too much time and I've become too reclusive to spend time sitting in a crowded restaurant. For now, shredded wheat and strawberries will have to do.

I was really slow on my long walk today. I'm surprised at how much my energy seems to vary from day to day. Maybe I was extra tired today because I got so little sleep last night. Who knows? On a good day I can complete my walk ten minutes faster than on a bad day. Some of this has to be due with the weather. Cool dry days are much better than warm muggy days. I'll almost always complete my route no matter how I'm feeling or what the weather is doing. I've walked in ice and snow and blazing hot summers. I've gotten caught in the rain quite a few times. I even make sure I get at least 10,000 steps when I'm traveling. Some things do stop me though. I didn't do any walking that week I was in the hospital.

I wrote a letter to my sister this afternoon but didn't get around to mailing it. I can do that tomorrow when I renew a prescription. I still haven't fixed the screen door. For some reason I'm dreading that job. Whatever happens I imagine that tomorrow will look a lot like today. The dogs days of summer have arrived.

Wendy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4911

Little by little, things get done. My new driver's license arrived in the mail today. For the first time in my life I have a license with restrictions. "Corrective lenses required," it says. I keep a pair of glasses in the car now, but honestly I can't tell any difference when I'm wearing them. Things look clear with the glasses, but they look clear without them too. Oh, well. I've got my license now and it's good for eight years. I looked goofy in my last driver's license picture. Now I just look old. Strangely, the new picture is in black & white. I wonder why.

I also picked up the pair of glasses with progressive lenses at Lenscrafters this afternoon. Progressive lenses are strange and take some getting used to. In theory I should be wearing them all the time and would no longer need readers when I'm working at the computer. It's a lot easier to just put on a pair of readers when I'm looking at a screen though. 

My progressive lenses are basically trifocals with distant, middle, and near ranges. They do work, but to avoid distortion you have to look directly at something. Side glances don't work very well. I've had 20/20 vision for so long that it's a big nuisance now that my vision had deteriorated a bit. I still think I can see things clearly, but apparently not clearly enough to pass a DPS eye test. I will always think I got cheated on the test. When I had an eye exam while I was getting my glasses, the ophthalmologist said I should have been able to pass the DPS test without glasses.

The rest of the day was pretty normal. We had a nice sunrise walk with Dawn. We're seeing lots of bunnies in the mornings now. The coyotes that used to live in the area must have moved on. In previous years the baby bunnies wouldn't have lasted very long. The ground was very wet this morning, but neither Janet or I remember hearing any rain last night. At least the weather is still cool. There have been years when the weather was already pretty hot by early June. I hope this means that we'll have a mild Summer. I've lost my tolerance for Texas heat.

I took my long walk before I went to pick up my progressive lenses. It was nice to be able to complete the walk without getting hot and sweaty. I'd better enjoy these days while I can. I suspect that the temperatures are going to get a lot warmer pretty soon. Something has changed on my Fitbit. I feel like I'm walking faster, but Fitbit says I'm walking slower. This has happened once before. The algorithm that measures time and distance probably changed a bit during a software upgrade. The Fitbit and Apple Watch have never agreed on walking stats anyway. They can be off by several thousand steps at the end of the day. I still don't know which device is right. Probably neither of them is correct. Oh, well. That's what I get for becoming addicted to meaningless statistics. It's almost impossible for me to walk without measuring something.

I've been having problems with my hosting company lately. I'll notice that my domains won't load even though everything else on the Internet is fine. I'll call customer service at the hosting company, sit on hold for a long time and usually by the time I'm finally talking to a customer service agent, the problem has fixed itself. They tell me that nothing is wrong and to call back if I'm having a problem. Very frustrating. This happens several times a day. I know that something is wrong with the server, but nobody can tell me anything. Maybe I need to change hosting companies.

I feel like I've finally caught up on a lot of things but I'm probably just fooling myself. There is still a long list of things I've been ignoring. I'll continue ignoring them for as long as I can.

Scooby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4910

No surprises today. We got up a little later than we do on weekdays, took Dawn on her morning walk, and had a big breakfast. Dawn is scared of the neighbor's cat and always wants to make sure the cat is not around before she'll leave the yard. The city has begun a program to eradicate poison hemlock from the park, so I'm always looking for the stuff now when we walk. The pictures of the poison hemlock look a lot like Queen Anne's Lace which grows everywhere in the park. Dawn likes to eat grass, so now whenever I see Queen Anne's Lace I think it might be poison hemlock. There's always something new to worry about. 

I went back to the mall to walk after breakfast. There always seems to be something new. Some stores change out their window displays every week and other stores never change. It's quiet before the stores open and it feels a bit like I'm walking through a strange sort of museum. The stuff in store windows seem like cultural artifacts to me, just like museum pieces. I have no interest in buying this stuff, but it is interesting. Oddly, there are lots of real museum pieces in the mall as well. I pass a sculpture by Henry Moore and then look at a bunch of brightly colored shirts in the Psycho Bunny store. It all kind of blends together for me.

When we took Dawn on her Sunday outing today there was an amusement company setting up rides in the park. It was hard to tell whether this was for a public event or a rich person's birthday party. It could go either way in Dallas. The place was crowded and we had trouble finding a parking place. Dawn got her walk, but we had to park near some horse stables near the edge of the park. Either I'm getting slower or everyone else is getting faster. By the end of our walk Janet and Dawn were way ahead of me.

Sometimes I feel cheated at the ice cream store. They just plop a scoop of ice cream on top on an empty cone, making no attempt to fill the cone. At least with soft serve ice cream like Dairy Queen, the cone gets filled. The ice cream is good though and Dawn loves it. Even though the cones are no bargain, getting ice cream has become part of our Sunday ritual.

I didn't do anything useful this afternoon. I've fixed the screen door several times before, but I can't bring myself to get started on this project. I could probably fix the cracks in the sheetrock myself as well. I've done that before too. There's a lot of stuff that needs to be done, but I keep postponing things. My interest in doing my own home repairs has gone to zero. I hate to accomplish nothing though, so I did a load of laundry.

Tomorrow it's back to my weekday schedule. I've got plenty of shredded wheat and strawberries, so I'm good for the week. I'll probably call and see if my glasses with the progressive lenses are ready. It's already time to mow the front yard again, but maybe that can wait a day or two. I'm sure I'll find something to do.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4909

I did my grocery shopping early this morning so we could go to Dawn's dog school party. I think I tried this last week as well, but this week I started even earlier. I finished my shopping and was home again before I typically leave the house. I need to make a habit of this. The stores weren't crowded and there was a better selection of everything.

I thought that Dawn would enjoy the party because she likes going to school. Nope. She was nervous the entire time and was eager to return home. She wasn't interested in playing with any of the other dogs. This was something new and Dawn never reacts well to new things. Janet entered her in several of the competitions and she won fourth place in one. I had a good time and got to chat with several people I hadn't seen since we used to take Dot and Dash to training class. I guess we'll do this again next year.

After we returned home I went on a not so long walk. It was later in the day and too hot outside for my regular route. I knew I couldn't complete six miles today. I only walked three miles this afternoon but that was enough to get my steps and close all three rings on my Apple Watch. I had to soak my hat in water to stay cool this afternoon. I should have gone to the gym, but after grocery shopping this morning I was tired of driving.

We had a very brief power outage this afternoon. The beeping noises from several devices were enough to send Dawn into a panic. Thunder and lightning don't scare Dawn, but electronic beeping noises do. She managed to get stuck behind the bedroom television in a tangle of cords and cables. Why she thought that this was a safe place, I'll never know. It was hard to extricate her from this tiny awkward space and when I got her free, she wasn't comfortable for the rest of the afternoon. I took her outside so she could lay in the grass and that actually calmed her down after a while. She was back to normal in time to start barking at me to fix her dinner.

One of my battery back-up power sources bit the dust today. I don't think I'm going to bother to replace it. There are way too many things in the office that I don't even use anymore. This thing beeps when the power goes out too. We don't need any more beeping things in this house. 

I thought about fixing the screen door this afternoon but it was way too hot. All I really wanted to do was take a nap. At least it didn't rain today. Rain was in the forecast all day, but somehow it never materialized. I actually would have welcomed a little rain on my long walk. Did I mention it was hot. I'm not reacting very well to summer this year. It's hot every summer, but I don't have the patience for it anymore. 

Tomorrow I'll go walking at the mall and then we'll take Dawn on her Sunday outing. Dawn and I both like familiar routines. Dawn and I should be best friends. We're both old and grumpy and don't react well to change. There is still rain in the forecast for tomorrow but there is a good chance we'll never see it. Old habits die hard I guess. We've got a brand new roof and I'm still worried about rain.

Freckles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4908

These days just seem to race by even with virtually nothing happening. You'd think that time would slow down, or that I'd get bored on slow uneventful days, but it's not like that at all. I wake up and then all the sudden it's dinner time. I have a routine that seems well suited to wasting time. We always start out by giving Dawn a morning walk. We start at the same time Winter and Summer, but now the sun is already up when we walk. The temperature is usually pleasant early in the morning. This short one mile walk is usually the nicest part of the day.

I make the bed while Janet and Dawn are having their breakfast and then I eat mine. I take my time because why hurry. There is almost never anything important on my schedule. Breakfast is the only time I watch television. I channel surf back and forth between all the cable news channels. I don't have a favorite but usually end up on one of the business channels.

I like being informed but usually get my news by reading Google News on my computer. This also seems to be where the cable news shows get their news. Nobody makes much of an effort anymore. I hate the paywalls that traditional news sources have placed on their websites and refuse to pay for them. Call me old fashioned but I still think the Internet should be free. I've had an Internet presence for over twenty years and have never tried to sell anything. I still think I liked the old days of Usenet news groups best. Who needs pictures and video. I still like to read.

Now that Summer has arrived I'm trying to take my long walk earlier. If I was smart I'd just go to the gym, but that would involve driving. As long as the temperature is bearable, it's much more enjoyable to take a walk in the woods. Walking is relaxing because you don't have to think. Daydreaming on a walk is completely different than fighting traffic on busy Dallas streets. Truthfully, even the park has gotten too busy for me, but it's my backyard so I'll continue to walk there. I really miss the isolation of Mt. Locke out at McDonald Observatory. The place is a science installation, not a recreation destination so there are never a lot of people there. Sadly, I have to drive a full day to get to the place, so those trips will be few and far between in the future. 

Today's walk was just like yesterday's walk, but it was cooler outside since I started earlier. I really hope we're not going to have a hot summer. I don't know if I can handle 100 degree days anymore. Last year I would soak my shirt and hat in water before I started walking. This year I think I'll just go to the gym if it gets much hotter. There isn't much to see in the park in the summer anyway. The animals are hiding from the sun and the migratory birds have already left the area and moved north.

It's time to make a grocery list again. I wonder what will be more expensive this week? Tomorrow afternoon Dawn's training class is having a summer party. Dogs are invited, so hopefully Dawn will enjoy this. If not, we can just walk home since the party is being held in the park. The glasses with the progressive lenses were supposed to be ready tomorrow, but I haven't heard anything from Lenscrafters. We'll see. It's a safe bet that I'll get the glasses before I get my new driver's license.

Abby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4907

I didn't accomplish much today. Somehow it's June already and it still seems like it should be February. I guess I've done a few things this year, but it doesn't seem like much. What happened to all the goals I used to have? I wake up, wonder what I'm going to do today and always end up doing the same things I did yesterday. There are really only two goals I have left. I want to continue walking six miles a day as long as I can and I want to finish my quest to write 5000 consecutive blog posts. Both of these are kind of silly goals. Is six miles a day really any better than four miles a day? It's just an arbitrary distance I picked a long time ago. I'm pretty sure that completing 5000 blog posts is no different than completing 4000 blog posts, but that's the number I chose. I'll be glad when I'm done because I really don't have that much to say.

We had a nice early walk with Dawn. The park seemed unusually busy this morning and I have no idea why. It wasn't a holiday but there were a ton of bicycles to avoid this morning. Dawn definitely gets the best walk of the day. It's almost always pleasant before sunrise. When I took my long walk later in the day it was way too hot.

When I checked my messages this morning there was a thank you note from my editor at SpaceFlight. I always feel better after I get some kind of acknowledgment that these articles I write have been received and are appreciated. One of these days a story will be rejected. I'm kind of surprised that all my stories have been accepted so far. I have absolutely no connections within the aerospace industry and don't really know that much about rockets. I can't even remember how I got interested in writing about space. Hey, it gives me something to do. All old people need something to do.

I had to go to the bank this morning but had no desire to go anywhere else. I just made a quick trip and came home again. I've probably driven more in rent cars in Florida this year than I have in Dallas. I do walk a lot though. Getting 10,000 to 20,000 steps a day seems far more important to me than what I see on these walks. I just walk the same route over and over again. The area where we live is pretty compared to the rest of Dallas, but after thousands of walks I hardly notice things anymore. I'm pretty sure I could do the walk blindfolded these days.

Now that the roof is fixed the other flaws in the house seem even more noticeable. The stained and cracked sheetrock in the ceiling really needs to be fixed. The sliding glass door to the atrium needs to be repaired as well. The whole house needs paint and new carpets. I'm sure there are many other things as well. The main drawback to making these repairs is that I hate having strangers in the house. Unless I want to learn how to do everything myself, I probably don't have a choice.

I've taken this weeks's trash to the curb, so this week is over for me. Tomorrow is Janet's grocery day and is Dawn's favorite day of the week. She gets so excited when Janet comes home with groceries. I'll continue watching the mail for my new driver's license. I'll feel a lot better about traveling when it arrives.

Charlie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4906

I finished my article this morning, edited some pictures, and sent the package off to SpaceFlight Magazine. The pictures were almost identical to other rocket pictures I've taken. The article was pretty similar to other articles as well. It kind of made me wonder why I continue to do this. I guess I chase rockets for fun. What is fun though? I don't really know.

Today wasn't just warm, it was hot. The temperature got up to over ninety degrees. I guess it isn't Spring anymore. Summer has arrived. It was still nice outside when we took Dawn on her early morning walk, but I should have taken my long walk right after breakfast. By the time I got around to leaving the house, it was already too hot. I'm always slow to change my routines, but it's about time to go back to using the treadmill at the gym instead of walking outside.

I still haven't fixed the screen door, but I did update the Dalmatian Rescue website this afternoon. I do so little web design and maintenance anymore that I'm starting to forget things. The applications I use are becoming out of date as well. Luckily I still remember enough to get things done. It seems strange now that I used to have lots of clients and did this every single day. There are times when I miss the structure imposed by work.

The friend who is selling my model train collection sold a few more things today. Sales have slowed down to a trickle, but it's still a nice surprise when something sells. Why did I collect these things in the first place? It's a mystery. I wish I could find someone to sell my watches. I've really lost interest in watches over the years and only wear the Apple Watch anymore. There is nothing wrong with collecting things, but it can become an obsession. There is always something new and you never seem to have enough. I collect absolutely nothing these days. Too bad it took me thirty years to arrive at this point.

I'm still resisting the urge to climb up on the roof and inspect things after yesterday's big rain. If I keep climbing up on the roof it will have defeated the whole purpose of getting a new roof. The roof doesn't leak any more, so I should just leave thing alone. I wonder how many days it will be before curiosity gets the better of me. Realistically, I'll still need to go up on the roof from time to time. We have lots of trees and branches occasionally fall on the roof that need to be removed. I'm not going to make visits to the roof a regular occurrence though. Those days are over.

Dawn did well at training class tonight. She seems to love this class even though she hates riding in the car. I probably need to find some sort of class as well. At this point Dawn is probably learning more than I am.

Amy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4905

The roof got its first big test today. We had a driving mid-afternoon thunderstorm and no leaks. I resisted the urge to climb up on the roof after the storm was over and see if there was standing water. I am curious though. The roof is also paid for now. A representative from the roofing company came over to pick up the final payment earlier this morning. Hopefully I won't spend much time thinking about the roof anymore. There are other things that need attention.

The rain was somewhat of a surprise. I wasn't expecting it. Dawn apparently wasn't expecting rain either. The thunder and lightning sent her into panic mode for a while. Dawn usually isn't scared of storms, so this was a surprise as well. Luckily, the storm was over in an hour or so and there is no more rain on the horizon.

The day started normally enough. We had a nice early morning walk with Dawn. She seemed to have a lot of energy this morning and wanted to take a longer route than usual. Last month's falling episodes seem like a distant memory now. Hopefully, whatever caused the weakness in her front legs won't return. A healthy dog is a happy dog.

After paying for the roof, I decided to pay all my other bills as well. I'm really going to have to curtail my trips to Florida. These launch trips are just getting too expensive. Airfares have gone up the most, but when I compare expenses with past trips, everything else has gone up as well. It's kind of sad. Maybe I can plan something for the Fall, but I'd better stay close to home for a while.

I'm glad I was able to complete my long walk today before the storm arrived. I've been surprised by weather before and wouldn't have wanted to be caught out in this storm. There was lots of lightning. I don't mind getting wet, but I definitely don't want to get struck by lightning. Even with a waterproof roof, I'm still not a big fan of rain. Rain makes for muddy dog walks and when the grass grows faster I have to mow more often.

When I passed Sunset Bay on my long walk today the Muscovy Ducks were fighting with the geese. One of the geese was trying to run away with a Muscovy Duck's bill firmly clamped to its tail feathers. Birds are not very friendly creatures. They are very territorial and always seem to be fighting with each other. The Mallards are always chasing each other. Sometimes the birds don't seem to like me either. I've had Mockingbirds dive bomb me several times on walks. You don't want to get too close to their nests.

It's hard to believe that it's almost June. Where has this year gone? It still seems like I just finished putting away the Christmas tree. I'll finish up my article tomorrow morning and send it to the magazine. There isn't much else on the agenda. I owe my sister another letter and I still need to fix the screen door, but I'll probably just take a walk tomorrow. 

Ollie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4904 - Memorial Day

Today was a two part day. I walked in the morning and wrote in the afternoon. It didn't feel like I accomplished much, but my article is basically done. I just need to wait until the AX-2 astronauts return on June 1 and then I'll finish things up and send the article to the magazine.

I was sleepy this morning and didn't feel like getting out of bed, but you can't procrastinate when you've got a dog waiting for a walk. These early morning walks are nice, but it warms up quickly. By the time I was ready for my long walk after breakfast it was already too hot.

I'm going to have to go out and find some more shredded wheat soon. I'm almost out and it's only Monday. There's still plenty of fruit though. After breakfast I thought about fixing the screen door, but I didn't have enough staples for the staple gun, so that gave me an excuse to put the job off for another day or two. I quickly reverted to my regular routine of checking my messages and getting ready for my long walk.

If I ever needed an excuse to return to the gym it will be summer temperatures. It really wasn't bad today but the warmer weather gave me a feel for what is coming. I don't think I can handle being outside in triple digit temperatures anymore. The gym is air conditioned and has a nice indoor track. It also has everything I need to work on rebuilding muscle mass. All I need to do is get motivated.

The park was busy today. There were more bicycles and joggers than on a typical weekend. At first I was confused and then remembered it was Memorial Day. Everyone must have gotten the day off. I completed my six miles, trying my best not to get mowed down by speeding cyclists. I think I prefer walking on winter days when nobody is out and about.

I was wondering when the roofers were going to call wanting the rest of their money. They called today and apparently want to be paid tomorrow. That's fine. I'm ready to put the new roof behind me and move on to other things. The new roof still hasn't been tested by a heavy rain, but that's bound to happen soon. Lots of people in the area got rain today, but it was all to the north of us. I hope the roofers come back to inspect things after the next big storm. They promised that the new roof will drain well. I'm a bit skeptical but am hoping for the best. I really don't want to be climbing on the roof to remove standing water ever again.

I spent the afternoon writing my article about the AX-2 Mission. The article is basically done unless something surprising happens on the final days of the mission. I had to look at my old article about the AX-1 Mission to make sure that I wasn't duplicating the previous article. The two private missions to the space station are basically the same. This new article was a little shorter than I anticipated, but I think I mentioned everything important. I'll edit some of the pictures I took tomorrow and then submit the article and pictures to SpaceFlight as soon as the astronauts return to earth.

I hope my new driver's license comes soon. I hate loose ends and won't feel comfortable traveling until the license arrives. I have a temporary license, but it's just a piece of paper and doesn't look very official. I doubt that the temporary license would open any doors at Kennedy Space Center. I dread renewing my passport. That's going to make renewing the driver's license look easy. They say it can take up to a year to renew a passport now. Why? I've got some time, but I imagine that conditions will be even worse when it's time for me to renew. It's hard to get used to the fact that nothing works smoothly anymore. 

Emmitt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4903

Not a bad day. It was supposed to rain today, but the rain never materialized. We had a pleasant early morning walk with Dawn and then returned home for a big breakfast. Our routine on Sunday seldom changes. After breakfast I make the bed and check my messages. Then I go walking at the mall.

Mall walking is a nice change of pace from walking in the park. The temperature is controlled, the terrain is flat, and the scenery is interesting in its own weird way. Every week there are stores that have closed and new ones that have opened. Window displays change, but everything still looks the same. I wonder who buys this stuff? I have never seen anyone wearing anything remotely similar to what is on display in these windows.

From a mall walkers perspective you'd think the most important things in the world were expensive purses. There are tons of purses on display in store windows. Some stores make a real effort to always feature new merchandise, while others never change their displays at all. Although most stores don't open until noon on Sunday, there are already people inside many of the stores. They are dusting things with Swiffer dusters. They are having staff meetings. And they are stocking merchandise. I don't think I'd enjoy working in retail. It seems like a boring existence.

Dawn was ready to go on her Sunday outing when I returned from the mall. As usual, she was eager to get in the car and than panicked as soon as the car started to move. It was a little warm today, but Dawn got a chance to smell new things and I added another mile to my daily step total. We concluded our Sunday outing with ice cream cones and then returned home. The ice cream store always has a help wanted sign outside. There must be a high turnover. 

I finally got started on my article about the AX-2 launch this afternoon. It seemed like a better alternative than fixing the screen door. I made good progress on the article, but still have some work to do. I'll probably finish the article tomorrow and then send it to the magazine on Tuesday. There are several interesting launches this summer, but it might be a while before I return to Kennedy Space Center. Until I can find a publication that actually pays for travel expenses, I need to watch my budget. The cost of everything continues to go up and these trips are getting expensive.

One of the UPS battery back up power sources for the computers in the office has gone bad. Do I replace this thing, or just do without it? After my last trip to the battery store, I'm reluctant to replace expensive batteries again. Batteries are the bane of my existence. They never last as long as I expect. I don't know what people who buy electric cares are thinking. None of these people have had the cars long enough to experience the frustration of battery replacement. It's still much easier for me to just go to the gas station.

I guess Memorial Day is tomorrow. This is a confusing holiday. For decades Memorial Day was always observed on May 30. Then somewhere along the line the date got changed to the last Monday in May so Federal employees could get a three day holiday. I'm glad Christmas is always on December 25. I have trouble remembering dates that change like Memorial Day and Easter.

Sam is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4902

Just another grocery day. The day started as always with Dawn's sunrise walk. It was nice and cool this morning. I wish the temperature would stay in the low 70's for the rest of the summer, but of course that's not going to happen. I'd better enjoy this weather while it lasts, because in a month from now it's going to feel a lot different.

When we returned to the house we had a big weekend breakfast. I couldn't eat like this all the time, but it's nice to have a change of pace from my shredded wheat and fruit. Shredded wheat was on my grocery list today, but I still couldn't find any at HEB. Hopefully they'll have my favorite brand back in stock before I run out. I found everything else easy enough and was back at the house by 11 AM. I've discovered that the stores aren't nearly as crowded if I go shopping an hour earlier. Probably a lot of things would be easier if I did everything an hour earlier.

By the time I was ready for my long walk it had warmed up quite a bit. It wasn't uncomfortable though because it was still overcast outside. It always feels cooler when there is no direct sunlight. There were no ducks to count today. The Muscovy Ducks have been gone for several weeks, but the geese were gone today as well. I have no idea where the geese went. I'm not even sure that these domestic geese can fly. I thought that breaking in a new pair of Hoka shoes would ease my foot pain, but the new shoes haven't made much difference. Some days are good and other days are terrible. There's no point in going to a doctor about this. I've seen the orthopedic specialist several times and it's pretty obvious that I have arthritis.

I was going to work on my AX-2 article this afternoon, but never got around to it. I've managed to convince myself that there is no point in finishing the article until the eight day mission is complete and the Dragon capsule splashes down in the Gulf of Mexico on June 1st. Hey, I've still got plenty of time.

I resisted the urge to do another load of laundry this afternoon. I think my obsession with doing laundry is why our water bill has gone up. I hate to think what the water bill is going to be like in July when we are watering the lawn again. Actually, all the utility bills have gone up this year, but what else is new. It's just another sign of the times.

It's supposed to rain tomorrow, but I think we'll still be able to take Dawn on her Sunday outing. The rain isn't supposed to start until later in the afternoon. There has been no appreciable rain since the new roof was completed. I'm curious to see how well it drains. I'd be real disappointed if there is still standing water up there after all this trouble. I'll go to the mall again in the morning. Mall walking is another thing that would benefit from starting an hour earlier. I went earlier last week and the place was almost empty. 

I really need to make an effort to work on my article tomorrow. I need to put a new screen on the screen door at the back of the house as well. I've got a roll of screen wire. I just don't have the energy to do this anymore. Usually after my walks all I want to do is take a nap.

Libby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4901

Today was uneventful. I mostly thought about doing things instead of actually doing them. I didn't make much progress on my article today and tried to avoid projects around the house. Considering how little I accomplished, it was amazing how the day went so quickly.

It's a good thing that we always take an early walk with Dawn. I think this walk is as important for me as it is for her. I'm always sleepy when we get started, but wide awake by the time we return. Without the walk, I'd probably get up later every day and accomplish even less. The sunrise walks provide a structure that gets the day headed in the right direction. Dawn is always full of energy and is eager to walk in the morning, but as soon as we return to the house, she immediately goes back to the bedroom and goes to sleep again. Not a bad life if you ask me.

I made the bed and ate breakfast, but had no plan for the day at all. When I can't think of anything to do, I do laundry. While the washer was running I did a little research for my SpaceFlight article and came up with a title for the article. That's as far as I got. Maybe I need a deadline. 

It was quiet on my long walk today. I didn't see many cyclists or joggers. I also didn't see a lot of ducks. The Muscovy Ducks at Sunset Bay have all disappeared. There were five of them earlier this Spring. Three disappeared about a month ago and now the final two are gone as well. I wonder what happened? The two large males have been a fixture at Sunset Bay for many years. There is no sign of the eagles as well. The park department finally acknowledged that the pair is not nesting this year and will take down the fencing that surrounded their old nest. They might as well take down the "Do not disturb" signs around the tree with the baby owls as well. I think the owls have flown away.

I"m not really a birder, but the birds and waterfowl are really the only things of interest on these walks. The construction activity that took place earlier this year is finished now and most of the animals are hiding. I used to see a lot of rabbits, but sightings are rare now. I seldom see coyotes or even hear them howl anymore. Maybe some of these animals have moved on now that the park has become a popular recreation destination. The place has changed a lot in recent years.

My pace slowed down a lot today. It's a mystery why my walks are not more consistent. Some days I'm reasonably fast. On other days I move at a crawl. Oddly, I'm usually faster on days when I'm busy and reasonably tired. The way I react to temperature is strange as well. The temperature in the house is always the same, but I'm usually hot in the mornings and cold in the evenings. I'm almost always hot when I'm out walking. I appreciate consistency, but life often seems random.

This week has gone quickly. I returned from Florida on Monday but that already seems like ages ago. It's time to make a grocery list again. The stores will probably be crowded since it's going to be a holiday weekend. A long weekend won't change much for me. My routine will be exactly the same. I really need to make an effort to finish my article this weekend. My memories of the launch are already starting to fade.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4900

There are only 100 days left before I reach my goal. I've thought about continuing the blog after I reach my 5000 day goal, but I probably won't. Writing something even halfway coherent for 5000 consecutive days is a long time and I'm running out of things to say. It's probably time to put this thing to bed. I have surprisingly few readers after all this time, but a large audience was never my goal. I just wanted to see if I could do this and it looks like I can.

I was finally able to renew my driver's license today. It took two pairs of rather expensive glasses and a new eye exam, but I'm good for another five years. I ordered new glasses yesterday, but the prescription I had on hand was for progressive lenses and the Lencrafter store couldn't fill it in-house. This pair of glasses won't be ready for ten days. I got a second pair of simple distance-only glasses today and took them with me to the DMV. 

Before I could take a new eye test I needed a doctor to fill out a one page DMV form. Seems easy enough, but I couldn't get an appointment with my regular doctor for over a month. My license would have expired by then. I found another eye doctor at the mall and was able to get a same day appointment as a walk in patient. I actually liked this doctor better than my regular doctor. She said my eyes weren't really that bad and that I should have been able to pass a DMV eye test without glasses. I already knew this, but a lot of good that does me now. 

I guess I needed glasses anyway, but truthfully I can't tell any difference wearing them. Maybe things look a little sharper, but I could be imagining things. I kept looking at signs, taking the glasses on and off and the signs all looked the same. I passed the eye test easily when I returned to the DMV. Oddly, the line of letters they had me read today was larger than the ones on the test I failed yesterday. When I asked about this the examiner said that they always have people without glasses read a smaller line. Made absolutely no sense to me. Oh, well. I'm done now and ready for my next encounter with government bureaucracy. As long as my new license doesn't get lost in the mail, I'm good to go.

All in all, it was a very busy day. I finished mowing the grass in the front yard after breakfast this morning. The new mower batteries make a big difference. My fear was that the new batteries wouldn't last any longer than the old ones and I'd have to buy a new mower anyway. I guess I'm good to go on the mower for a while as well.

I still found time for a long walk today. I kind of wish I had a 5000 day goal on long walks as well. I'm getting tired of walking six miles a day. The walks make a difference though. I'm in a lot better shape than many people my age and long walks are conducive to daydreaming. Walking is exercise for lazy people. I still prefer long walks to going to the gym, even though it would do me a lot of good to start lifting weights again. Maybe one of these days I'll be motivated enough to do both.

Tomorrow I need to write my article about the AX-2 launch. If I wait much longer I'll forget everything.

Ranger is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4899

Good grief. I failed the eye exam this afternoon and the DMV won't renew my license until I get glasses. Jeez. I've never worn glasses in my life, but I guess things change. Up until a year or two ago I had 20/20 vision. At my last eye exam, the doctor said my vision had deteriorated and wrote me a prescription. He didn't seem alarmed though and said it was up to me whether I wanted to get it filled immediately. "Fill the prescription if you start having trouble seeing things," he told me. I promptly forgot about the prescription because I thought my vision was fine.

I think I got cheated at the DMV because the lady renewing my license just held up an eye chart card behind her desk in a slightly darkened room. If the chart had been illuminated better I think I would have passed the test. You don't argue with the DMV though. I went home and looked through piles of paper until I found the prescription. Luckily it hadn't expired yet. I went to a Lenscrafters store in the mall, picked out some frames and got the prescription filled. At first I though that I was going to walk out of the store in an hour with new glasses because they had an in-house lab. Nope. It wasn't going to be that easy. It turns out that my eye doctor wrote me a prescription for progressive lenses. Not only are progressive lenses much more expensive, they are also more difficult to grind and must be sent out to another lab. 

Janet says progressive lenses are hard to get used to and I probably should have found an optometrist to write me another prescription for simple distance only glasses. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow because it's going to take up to ten days to get the progressive lenses made. Ten days is cutting it close since my license expires soon. I still don't understand why I need the glasses. I can read all the road signs just fine.

The examiner didn't even ask for all the documents that I got out of the safe deposit box. I had everything she wanted right in my wallet. I hope I can get this mess resolved soon. You need a driver's license for just about everything these days. I certainly couldn't cover launches at Kennedy Space Center without one.

The rest of my day was fairly uneventful. We walked Dawn early in the morning, I ate my breakfast, and then I took my long walk. I made good time today and completed my walk five minutes earlier than I normally do. Ironically, my Fitbit said that I don't burn any more calories though. Sometimes I think the Fitbit is worthless. It measures the distance traveled fairly accurately, but the number of calories burned is all over the map. Some day when I'm slow it says I've burned a lot of calories. Other days when I'm feeling more active, I says I'm burning less. The sleep function never agrees with the Apple watch sleep function either.

I've got to pick up a bunch of prescription at the pharmacy tomorrow. Every time I get a physical exam my doctor renews everything whether I'm running low or not. I'd rather renew pills one at a time on an as needed basis, but I can never get the pharmacy and my doctor on the same page. I'll just have to find a place to put the new pills until the old pills run out. I guess I'll take all the driver's license documents back to the safe deposit box. They certainly weren't needed. 

Hopefully things will go smoother tomorrow. The weather was nice, but today wasn't a great day.

Ziggy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4898

Since I had to fast for my physical exam this morning I couldn't have my morning coffee or breakfast. It showed. I felt like I had no energy for the rest of the day. Of course this might have been some sort of jet lag effect from my trip. I never get much sleep on these launch trips. The exam went well though. The doc thinks I'm in great shape for my age. Of course "for my age" probably just means that I can still move around without using a walker.

I wish now that I'd asked the doctor about all the bug bites I've got. They're horrible. I think Florida mosquitos are much worse than Texas mosquitos. I get bites like this every time I visit Kennedy Space Center because I'm outside a lot. Since the bites don't go away quickly and I'm a terrible hypochondriac, I always worry that I've caught some strange disease. Were there bedbugs in the hotel? Did I eat tainted food? Did I sit next to the wrong person on the plane? Of course not. These almost have to be mosquito or chigger bites because I've experienced the same thing every time I go to Florida. The bites usually go away in about a week.

On the way back from the doctor I had to stop at the bank and get some documents out of my safe deposit box for tomorrow's driver's license renewal. Something must have changed in the law because I've never needed so much documentation before. I used to just renew my license by mail. The weird thing is that I already have a Real ID, so DPS should know exactly who I am. The letter I got for my appointment said to bring two forms of ID to prove I'm a US citizen, two forms of ID to prove I'm a Texas resident, an original Social Security card, and the title to my car. I've had numerous background checks run on me since I visit military bases to watch launches. Seems very strange that it's easier to visit high security areas at Kennedy Space Center than it is to get a Texas driver's license. At any rate, I've got a pile of documents now and hope I have everything I need. I definitely don't want to have to do this again.

When I returned home I mowed the grass in the back yard and then I took my long walk. The yard looks much better now, although there are still a few dead spots where the roofers left pallets of material while they were working. The grass will grow back quickly and I'll have to mow again pretty quickly as well. At least the new batteries I bought for the mower worked. I'll try to mow the front yard tomorrow.

I finally threw away my worn out Hoka shoes and broke in a new pair on my long walk today. These shoes are comfortable and help with my foot pain, but I sure wish they lasted longer. I've had hiking boots that can be resoled for a lifetime, but any type of sneaker is basically a throw away item. If you're active, you're lucky if they last a year. I was exceptionally slow on my walk today. I got started late and the  weather was hotter than I expected. My feet bothered me as well, but mostly I was just tired. I mentioned to the doctor this morning that I don't have as much energy as I used to. He just laughed and told me I was getting old.

Maybe Dawn did miss me while I was gone. She seems a little friendlier toward me now. One of these days we'll finally be friends. Hopefully there will be no problems with my driver's license renewal tomorrow. I need that license to travel. I also need to get started on my Axiom-2 article soon. There is no rush deadline this time, but I promised my editor that I'd get him something by Friday. Right now I just need to get some sleep.

Willie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4897

I'm back in Dallas. Today was mostly a travel day. There was no need to get up super early this morning. I walked to a Cracker Barrel restaurant down the street from my hotel, ate my breakfast, and then packed my bags to leave. It was supposed to rain today, but the day looked pretty nice to me. I always enjoy my visits to Titusville. It's a quiet little town compared to Dallas.

Orlando is anything but quiet. Every time I go to the Orlando airport, I wish I'd applied for TSA Pre a little earlier. I do have an appointment now, but it's not until late in June. I'll never understand why every airport seems to have different rules for what has to come out of your bag. Dallas Love Field is easy compared to Orlando. Today I had to open my suitcase at the security checkpoint because my camera tripod apparently looked like a suspicious object. Everyone behind me was in a hurry and I almost forgot to put my computer back in the suitcase. In Dallas I don't even have to take the computer out of the bag. Sometimes I don't even need to take my shoes off. I don't know why I didn't get TSA Pre several years ago. It seems like a bargain every time you get delayed at the security checkpoint.

I don't go to concerts or sporting events anymore, so airports are about the only place I still encounter crowds. Being around a lot of people doesn't give me a lot of faith in the future of humanity. Mostly people are nice, but everyone seems impatient and in a hurry. Why are there so many fat people? The last time I was in Italy, it seemed like the entire country was thin. In America it's exactly the opposite. Maybe it is because everyone is always eating. People are constantly eating at airports. Even the ridiculously high prices for airport food doesn't slow them down. People seem addicted to their phones. I am usually the only one at the airport, or on the plane not using a cell phone. They are all playing games, watching movies, or texting someone.

The Orlando airport is filled with children. They are either going to or coming from Disneyland. Going to Disneyland must be on every small child's bucket list. I often see large families on the way to Disneyland and wonder how they can afford it. The place is not cheap anymore. Little girls returning from Disneyland are often wearing princess dresses and little boys are carrying toy lightsabers, I shouldn't be critical though, since I've been to Disneyland myself. Janet and I once went to the Disneyland in Paris.

I'm well on my way to becoming a frequent traveler. I've started to get picky about planes. The 737-800 is a much better plane than the 737-700 because the overhead bins are larger. Occasionally I'll fly on a 737 MAX, but that just seems like a longer version of the 737-800. Nobody leans their seat back while flying anymore. It seems to be an unwritten rule that you must leave your seat in the full upright position for the entire flight. Maybe people are just trying to be courteous. Planes are always full these days. It's been a long time since I've been on a plane that wasn't completely full.

I love attending launches at Kennedy Space Center, but I'm glad to be home again. Maybe I'll sleep better tonight. Hotel beds are always too soft for me. I need to remember not to eat breakfast tomorrow because I  have an early doctor's appointment for a semi-annual physical. I also need to gather documents for my driver's license renewal. It didn't seem like I needed so many documents before real ID became mandatory.

Rosco is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4896

It was a beautiful launch this evening. The weather cooperated. There were no serioous problems with the rocket, and the launch took place right on schedule at 5:37 PM. Since the AX-2 Mission was going to the International Space Station, the launch had to take place exactly at 5:37 PM. A delay in the launch was not an option. With an instantaneous launch window and weather deteriorating for the rest of the week, it was a good thing the Axiom team was able to get off the ground today. The weather looks bad tomorrow.

There are always a few dramatic moments in any launch. Today there was a small leak in a nitrogen attitude control system that the first stage booster uses while returning to the landing Zone. There was also a threatening anvil cloud getting close to the three mile exclusion zone surrounding the launch pad. Anvil clouds produce lightning and a lightning strike to a rocket in flight is never a good thing. Fortunately all obstacles were overcome and the Dragon capsule is already on its way to a rendezvous with the international space station.

The day got off to a very early start. I had to pick up my press credentials at 5:45 AM. No breakfast today. The restaurant wasn't even open yet when I left the hotel. After picking up my credentials I joined a group of photographers being bussed out to the launch pad to set remote cameras. I don't set remote cameras myself, but I like taking pictures near the launch site. There was an hour delay when one of the shuttle busses hit a pole in the press site parking lot, knocking one of its rear view mirrors off. The bus seemed fine, but NASA is very strict about its rules. We had to wait for a substitute bus and driver.

I returned to Titusville to get some lunch after our trip to the launch pad. I had to go to Sonny's and get some barbecue, even though the brisket gave me heartburn on my last visit. It's a good thing that I don't take many of these trips. My blood pressure and resting heart rate always go up when I travel. I never sleep well either. My life in Dallas may be boring at times, but it does keep me healthier. 

After lunch I returned to the press site for some interview opportunities before the launch. I'm never very comfortable doing this sort of thing, but the magazine wanted me to try to interview some of the Axiom people. I guess the interviews went reasonably well. I may not be a real journalist, but I'm learning to act like one. I'll be able to incorporate a few quotes from my interviews into the article I'm going to write.

I had no camera problems today. I've been plagued with minor camera problems on recent launch visits, but today everything went perfectly. I think the pictures came out pretty well. Maybe I got lucky, or maybe  I'm finally learning to be more methodical and consistent about launch photography. Hopefully, I'll get a good night's sleep tonight before heading back to Dallas tomorrow. I don't know when I'll be back here again, but I'm glad that these periodic launch visits still give me pleasure. It was a very good day today.

Casey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day