2023-02-15 04:12
Only two hundred days to go. I should have established a less ambitious blogging goal back in the beginning, but I still think I can do this. In less than a year I will have written a daily… Read More
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Some Assembly Required Blog
john-sealander.blogspot.com
Take a day-by-day journey with writer/photographer John Sealander as he attempts to assemble something coherent out of the confusion around him.
2023-02-14 03:34
Not a lot happened today. It's a good thing that I have a high tolerance for boredom, because I didn't do anything of consequence all day. I'm actually surprised that the day went so quickly… Read More
2023-02-13 05:22
That was a good game. I wasn't a huge fan of either team, but the game was competitive right down to the final seconds. I do think the best team won. I spent most of my career working in the… Read More
2023-02-12 03:21
I found a tick on my leg when I woke up this morning. This doesn't seem to be the right time of year to be on the lookout for ticks, but we live near the park and we have a dog. It goes with… Read More
2023-02-11 03:01
The roofing guy was nice and seemed knowledgable. He didn't like my idea about going back to a tar and gravel roof, but the solution he proposed seemed reasonable. At first he wanted to put… Read More
2023-02-10 04:05
Another slow day. The roof is still leaking, but the amount of water I'm collecting in the buckets has slowed down considerably. I guess that's progress. If I'm lucky, the leaks will stop ju… Read More
2023-02-09 04:05
When going to the dentist turns out to be the best thing about your day, it's usually a pretty dismal day. The dental hygienist is always very complementary about the way I take care of my t… Read More
2023-02-08 03:19
I've been waiting for rain all day. For most of the day there have only been a few sprinkles. That's changing quickly though. Is the roof going to leak again? Probably. I just hate the suspe… Read More
2023-02-07 03:30
Where did the day go? I certainly didn't accomplish much today. It was a little chilly outside but there was no rain. It was foggy when we took Dawn on her early morning walk and it was very… Read More
2023-02-06 02:44
It was over seventy degrees today. It's hard to believe that we were freezing last week. We had a nice early walk with Dawn this morning and then came home to an equally nice weekend breakfa… Read More
2023-02-05 04:01
Shopping is not a pleasure anymore. Traffic is unreal these days. Even at 10 AM Northwest Highway looked like the worst evening rush hour I've ever experienced. Where are all these people co… Read More
2023-02-04 04:48
It was a beautiful day today. It was a little chilly, but the ice is almost gone. Dawn was certainly happy to get a walk again. She's been house bound for several days. The only reminder tha… Read More
2023-02-03 03:30
I didn't need Punxsutawney Phil to tell me that we were going to have six more weeks of winter. All I had to do was look out the window. The freezing rain actually stopped around noon today… Read More
2023-02-02 02:20
It's hard to believe, but today was even worse than yesterday. The temperature is still below freezing and we got more freezing rain overnight, adding another layer of ice to the ice that wa… Read More
2023-02-01 03:25
I wasn't expecting this. We woke up to find a lot of sleet on the ground. From a distance it looked and felt like snow, but it was definitely sleet. There were no flakes. Just tiny little ba… Read More
2023-01-31 04:41
The weather was dismal today. The temperature never got above freezing and the sleet that everyone had been predicting has finally arrived. I think it's going to be like this for the rest of… Read More
2023-01-30 04:11
The weather was strange today. When we took our early walk with Dawn this morning the temperature was in the high 50's. That was as high as it got and it continued to get colder for the rest… Read More
2023-01-29 04:28
It was a fairly typical Saturday. I did my grocery shopping and continued to be amazed at how expensive everything is getting. I did my walking and was equally amazed at how slow I'm getting… Read More
2023-01-28 03:03
Another nice day. I wish this weather would continue but there is rain in the forecast for next week. I took advantage of the clear skies and took three walks today. It was cold enough on ou… Read More
2023-01-27 03:24
I really thought the leaks had finally stopped when I woke up this morning. Not so fast. Around mid-morning when I was checking my e-mail, I heard the sound of dripping water again in the of… Read More
2023-01-26 02:54
The rain has stopped. Unfortunately, the roof is still leaking. I could probably put a stop to this if I went up on the roof and swept all the standing water away. I'm really trying to avoid… Read More
2023-01-25 03:15
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… Read More
2023-01-24 02:44
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… Read More
2023-01-23 03:55
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… Read More
2023-01-22 04:01
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 emp… Read More
2023-01-21 03:39
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… Read More
2023-01-20 03:13
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 maki… Read More
2023-01-19 03:12
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 Wa… Read More
2023-01-18 04:12
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 o… Read More
2023-01-17 04:57
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 a… Read More
2023-01-16 03:02
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… Read More
2023-01-15 03:34
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… Read More
2023-01-14 03:34
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 normal… Read More
2023-01-13 03:32
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… Read More
2023-01-12 02:39
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 w… Read More
2023-01-11 03:33
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 minu… Read More
2023-01-10 03:04
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 usi… Read More
2023-01-09 02:55
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 g… Read More
2023-01-08 03:21
Another week of being amazed at how grocery prices keep going up. The price increases aren't dramatic, but they are relentless. I don't think I've seen prices go down on the things I routine… Read More
2023-01-07 03:42
I think I'm becoming invisible. I've sent numerous messages to people who could potentially help me fix up the house and have received no replies. Nothing. I have a feeling that contractors… Read More
2023-01-06 03:37
These uneventful days are even becoming too uneventful for me. I'm very comfortable with boredom, but this is getting ridiculous. Every day is exactly the same. I really can't blame anyone b… Read More
2023-01-05 03:17
I must have done something today. There are days when it's really hard to tell. It was definitely a slow day. I still haven't heard anything about the upcoming Falcon Heavy launch. That's pr… Read More
2023-01-04 04:23
I stayed surprisingly busy today. Janet had an early class at the gym, so we took our early walk in the dark again. Walking in the dark doesn't seem to bother Dawn at all. She uses her nose… Read More
2023-01-03 03:32
I took down the Christmas tree today. If memory serves, it will be a long time until the next major holiday. It's usually warm around Christmas here in Dallas. It's easy to get lulled into t… Read More
2023-01-02 04:17
Not a lot happened today. I still can't get over how different Dawn seems when everyone is home. She is a happy dog again. After an energetic early morning walk, I made the bed and ate my br… Read More
2023-01-01 03:26
Well, 2022 is a wrap. It was a pretty good year all things considered. There were no medical emergencies. Dawn is healthy. Janet and I are healthy. I got to take a few fun trips this year. I… Read More
2022-12-31 02:31
Janet is back and Dawn is a happy camper again. She was actually very good with me while Janet was away, but it's nice to see the tail wagging again. I think that Dawn has been in kennel mod… Read More
2022-12-30 02:46
Dawn seemed sad today. I could hear her crying in the bedroom ocassionally. We are getting along fine, but I've never seen a dog so dependent on one person. Dawn is just not the same dog whe… Read More
2022-12-29 02:42
It was a quiet day. Dawn and I have our routines down now. She still seems depressed with Janet gone, but she isn't acting fearful anymore. I was able to take a nap with her on the bed today… Read More
2022-12-28 01:44
Dogs love consistency. As luck would have it, so do I. Dawn and I do exactly the same things at the same time every day and this consistancy seems to help us both. I've turned off Janet's al… Read More
2022-12-27 02:13
I got a message this morning saying that there had been an emergency at Janet's storage warehouse and that I should return the call immediately. The number I was given wasn't the number of t… Read More
2022-12-26 02:01
It was a very quiet day. I didn't talk to anyone all day. Dawn's first day alone with me went better than expected. She was a little nervous last night but she fell asleep long before I did… Read More
2022-12-25 02:38
Dawn surprised us this morning. We thought she'd want to stay inside because it was cold, but when we took her out to poop this morning she wanted to walk. She picked her own route and had a… Read More
2022-12-24 03:30
It was as just as cold and nasty as everyone predicted this morning. It was eleven degrees when we woke up, with a wind chill that was below zero. Not surprisingly, we did not take a morning… Read More
2022-12-23 03:55
Brrr. It is really cold today. I think the temperature dropped thirty degrees in less than an hour when the arctic front rolled through town. Luckily we were able to give Dawn a morning walk… Read More
2022-12-22 03:15
I should have known. You don't start planning for cold weather on the day before the cold weather arrives. I went out this morning to get some faucet covers for our outdoor faucets. It seeme… Read More
2022-12-21 03:23
It's that time of year again. I'm blowing my nose constantly. This seems to happen every Winter and I usually chalk it up to seasonal allergies. This time I'm wondering if I've caught a cold… Read More
2022-12-20 03:39
It's definitely Winter. It's cold. It's damp. I want to sleep with an extra blanket on the bed. Winter is not my favorite season, but luckily it's not as bad here as it is further north. The… Read More
2022-12-19 03:36
I didn't do much today. I should feel guilty for being so lethargic, but it doesn't seem to bother me. We took our morning walk a little later this morning. After all these years we still ha… Read More
2022-12-18 03:27
Today was busy. There was lots of walking, grocery shopping, and household chores. It was in the mid-30's when we took our early walk with Dawn. That's warm compared to what it's going to be… Read More
2022-12-17 03:34
I often have trouble remembering what day it is. It's understandable. I do the same things every day. I get up when Janets says "We'll be walking in twenty minutes." I dress warmly for these… Read More
2022-12-16 03:18
It was clear and cold this morning. I made sure to dress warmly this time for our early walk with Dawn. Even Dawn wore a sweater today. There aren't nearly as many people out on cold morning… Read More
2022-12-15 03:06
I totally misjudged the weather today. I put away the buckets because the rain has stopped and then one of the leaks started again. What a mess. I need to start looking at the wind chill ind… Read More
2022-12-14 03:16
We woke up this morning under a tornado warning. Several tornados did touch down in the area, but luckily none were near us. We managed to get Dawn walked before the bad weather arrived. Som… Read More
2022-12-13 03:52
Today was uneventful. When I woke up this morning there was a new leak in the living room. The leak was small and this area has leaked before. Since the rain is over now I thought I had dodg… Read More
2022-12-12 02:26
Sundays are all about walking. I don't think I did anything constructive today, but I sure did a lot of walking. Luckily the rain has stopped. Unfortunately the roof is still leaking. I disc… Read More
2022-12-11 03:54
Another wet day. The roof is leaking again and I've had to dry out my shoes several times. Today's heavy rain kind of surprised me, since the day started out normally enough. We had a nice e… Read More
2022-12-10 02:02
Good grief. I forgot my appointment with the eye doctor today. It wasn't their fault. They've been sending me reminders for the past two weeks. I got distracted by a roof leak this morning a… Read More
2022-12-09 04:00
We've been having a lot of nasty weather lately. I guess it's like this every year. I feel like I'm spending most of my time looking at the weather radar and trying to find time to squeeze i… Read More
2022-12-08 03:13
I have a hard time getting used to Winter in Texas. A few weeks ago it was below freezing. Today the temperature was in the mid-70's. No goose down coats today. I wore shorts and a t-shirt o… Read More
2022-12-07 03:08
Today was busy. We got up early and gave Dawn her morning walk before I took Janet to the dentist for dental surgery. I took my own long walk right after breakfast so I would be home in time… Read More
2022-12-06 03:49
All the Santa Paws gear has been stored away for another year. I literally only use this stuff once a year, but I'm glad I never threw it away. This year's backdrop has been washed and folde… Read More
2022-12-05 03:05
Santa has left the building. We are done with Santa Paws for another year. Today I set a new record for number of dogs photographed in a single day. Over a 100 dogs had their picture taken w… Read More
2022-12-04 02:38
One down, one to go. Our first Santa Paws event for 2022 went smoothly. We did things a little differently this year. Instead of setting up the backdrop in a boarding kennel or veterinary cl… Read More
2022-12-03 03:12
I would have preferred to sleep in this morning, but Dawn and Janet were ready to walk. Did it rain last night? The ground was very wet even though I don't remember it raining. There was a l… Read More
2022-12-02 04:06
Another cold and largely uneventful day. We slept in this morning so we didn't need flashlights and lighted collars on our early walk today. I would have preferred warmer weather, but it was… Read More
2022-12-01 03:16
It's hard to get used to this weather. It was a beautiful day but was very cold. I guess I'd better get used to this. It's Winter now. We bundled up and took Dawn on another early walk in th… Read More
2022-11-30 03:45
I think we got a one day reprieve before Winter arrives. It was really nice today. It got up to eighty degrees with clear skies this afternoon and I was able to take my long walk wearing sho… Read More
2022-11-29 03:27
I went to the storage warehouse today to get the gear we need for this years Santa Paws photos. Most of this equipment has seen better days, but I guess it will last one more year. I think D… Read More
2022-11-28 04:02
It was a nice Fall day. The skies were blue, the temperature was mild, and most of my water problems are behind me. There is still water dripping from the can light in the office ceiling, bu… Read More
2022-11-27 03:22
This is how people go insane. I had just finished cleaning up the house and the last leak had finally stopped when another storm came though town while we were sleeping. There was a massive… Read More
2022-11-26 03:20
Most of the leaks have stopped, but there's one stubborn one still dripping away in the office. The cadence of drips is much slower now. Maybe things will be back to normal by morning. When… Read More
2022-11-25 02:47
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner this afternoon. It was worth all the calls it took to get a reservation at our favorite restaurant. T… Read More
2022-11-24 03:42
It was a dismal day with a silver lining. We finallly managed to get a reservation for the Thanksgiving Brunch at our favorite restaurant. We'll be eating a little later than we had planned… Read More
2022-11-23 03:39
Another physical exam is in the books. The doctor agreed that I appear to be in pretty good health. Hopefully today's blood test results won't prove him wrong. I've been debating for weeks a… Read More
2022-11-22 03:59
I'm not a big fan of Winter. I always feel cold no matter what the temperature is in the house. Life goes on though. We got up early and took Dawn on her sunrise walk. The colder it gets, th… Read More
2022-11-21 04:06
It was below freezing when we woke up this morning. I think this was our first hard freeze of the year. Luckily I remembered to set the outdoor faucets on drip before I went to bed last nigh… Read More
2022-11-20 04:58
Another cold day. I think today was even colder than yesterday. The cold didn't stop us though. We took our sunrise walk with Dawn, returned home, ate a big breakfast, and got ready for anot… Read More
2022-11-19 03:37
I think it's Winter now. It felt very cold when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk and then it got even colder as the day progressed. I've got plenty of sweaters and warm coats, but it does ta… Read More
2022-11-18 04:05
Life is back to normal again. We took Dawn on a cold early morning walk and then returned home where I had my usual shredded wheat and fruit for breakfast. I enjoy traveling, but I eat healt… Read More
2022-11-17 04:12
What a way to start the day. The Artemis-1 launch was spectacular. The launch team must have learned a lot from their previous attempts because the entire countdown went very smoothly this t… Read More
2022-11-15 22:23
I'm back at Kennedy Space Center for another Artemis launch attempt. The launch is technically tomorrow morning, but it's going to seem like late tonight to me. If all goes well, liftoff wil… Read More
2022-11-15 03:02
We found out what was wrong with the furnace today. Unfortunately it needs a special order part to fix the problem. The furnace is still not working, although it does come on occasionally. T… Read More
2022-11-14 04:29
The house was very cold this morning. Luckily we had lots of blankets on the bed. I wish the furnace didn't decide to break on a weekend, but it is what it is. It actually got below freezing… Read More
2022-11-13 04:07
Good grief. Our furnace went out on the coldest night of the year. It wasn't the flame sensor this time so I couldn't fix it myself. The gas was coming on, but the fan wasn't working so no a… Read More
2022-11-12 03:30
Today was disappointing. The carpenter came over right when he promised he would. He was a nice guy. Unfortunately, when he looked at the damage, he told me that the repairs looked too compl… Read More
2022-11-11 05:08
Another slow day. I ate, I walked, I did all the usual things. The carpenter who was supposed to come over and give me an estimate couldn't make it and said he'd stop by tomorrow. I signed u… Read More
2022-11-10 04:30
Not a lot was accomplished today. After the time change, we're taking our sunrise walks in daylight again. The ground was soggy, but it looks like the rain is over for a while. I think Dawn… Read More
2022-11-09 03:54
I didn't see the lunar eclipse this morning. We would have had a good view on our early walk with Dawn, but it was quite foggy outside. It did see something interesting much closer to earth… Read More
2022-11-08 04:22
The day started out normally enough. It was already light outside when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk. It was also very warm and muggy, but I didn't give that any thought. I ate my breakfa… Read More
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