2015 - Day 120/245 - Thursday...

So, you may already know this, but I like cars, always have, I guess part of that is because I grew up outside Detroit and I think my dad liked cars too. Where we lived in the suburbs, lots of folks worked for the car companies in one form or another. Two or three houses down from us (when we lived in Southgate) was a family whose last name was Roy, and he was an exec for Chrysler. He ALWAYS had a new Chrysler, and my favorite was his (probably about a '59) Chrysler Imperial with the big sputnik looking tail lights. It was beautiful. We had (among others) a '63 Chrysler 300 with a push button transmission. It was red, and my brother commuted from Riverview to Ypsilanti when he was in college. The Chrysler was red, and one day someone slammed into the back of him during the commute. Car was totaled, nobody was seriously hurt (as I recalled) and that was the end of the Chrysler. That car was followed by a '65 Buick Vista Cruiser (a station wagon with a distinct resemblance to a Greyhound bus). None of this is really important to anything, except that I saw this '62 Chrysler 300 while I was on my way home this afternoon. It brought back some fun memories of a time in my life that was equally complicated as today, but on a proportional scale.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CHRYSLER, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 119/246 - Wednesday...

Okay, here is an update on the girl dog (Maddy). It seems she has settled in quite nicely and she has completed most of the people training that was necessary. She is not particularly keen on getting on the furniture (couches, chairs, etc.) unless one of us happens to have been there first, then it is okay with her. She likes to consider sleeping on the bed with one of us, but she is quite easily convinced to get back down and get into "her" chair for the night. Or she goes into the bathroom and lays on the cool tiles. She is quite happy to pull back the shower curtain in the middle bath and spend some time in that shower. There have been no "accidents" since the first night, and she goes for regular rides with Jody here and there. Twice she has been off her leash (not by our choosing) and both times she returned with little effort. She has decided that the tank in the front of the house (where the old water well is) is quite fun to romp in, and she has no concept of "wet". Overall, we think she will keep us. This is a photo (kind of dark) of her and Jody this afternoon watching the news.

After I got home from work today, I decided to "cut" (notice the quotation marks) some grass in front of the house. Actually, all I was interested in doing was clearing some paths where we normally walk, so as not to lose sight of the house or chicken coop (or the dog) in case of coyote attack in the tall grass. Most of that will be corrected over the weekend.  Maybe...

Deeds, Actions, Changes, MADDY, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 118/247 - Tuesday...

I have never had a panic-attack, but I have seen them portrayed on television and in the movies. I have professed to Jody in the past that, when I get stalled in traffic on the flyover from Texas 45 to the Northbound lanes of IH-35, you can feel the flyover bouncing. I understand that the flyover is engineered that way, but I do not like the experience. This afternoon, on the southbound lanes of IH-35, a dump truck crashed into he back end of a truck towing a mobile home.  This caused the truck/trailer combo to jack-knife, and jump the median and end up in the northbound lanes, and simultaneously catching fire. This is a photo of what is left of the dump truck, and there was no visible evidence of the truck/trailer combo. But I digress... We now return to the previously scheduled programming, already in session.

I was stuck on the flyover for about 45 minutes this afternoon; creeping, inch-by-inch towards the summit (which I estimate to be about 60 to 70 feet above terra-firma). Slowly I wiggled and wobbled. Yes, I KNOW they are engineered to wiggle and wobble, but I AM NOT!  Again, there was no real panic attack, but there was HIGH ANXIETY. I am not always the best airline passenger too. I don't like turbulence. On flights that I cannot see land ANYWHERE, if there is turbulence, there had damn well better be a video game to keep me distracted. In today's case, it was cellular service that came to the rescue, and any of you that travel that area on a regular basis are aware that my particular carrier (there is no need to disclose the particular carrier, but the initials are AT&T) finds it not really that important to provide coverage in the middle of a heavily populated area.

But I survived. Thanks for those of you that tried to calm me (Jody), and for the others, I would appreciate it if, in the future you would just give me a call that the Interstate is closed for the duration.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, COMMUTING, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 117/248 - Monday...

Overnight, our weather radio alarm went off about three times, and them I began receiving weather alerts on my cell phone. For all that notification, we received 0.67" of rain, no thunder that I can recall (or it may have been overridden by the alarms), no lightning and the girl dog slept comfortably between the beds and was happy as a clam. All the digital timepieces needed to be reset, but that was pretty much the worst thing that happened. I was glad for the rain, because Hubert fertilized the fields last week, so that was a welcomed happening. The morning was greeted by this lovely sunrise, and all is well with our little piece of the edge of nowhere. AND, high temperatures this week are expected to be in the 70s and 80s.  I will take it and be happy.

Today was just one long meeting, it was actually three long meetings but it felt like one. Jody did take the girl dog to the vet for a checkup and confirmation that all is good, and she was the Belle of the vets office, everyone cooing and purring over her. We are pretty sure she hated that.

One meeting in the morning, then off to the office to do some power real estate.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, RAIN, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 116/249 - Sunday...

You would think (especially considering my advanced age) that I would become more and more tolerant of things that are foreign to me, and that I would be open to considering new uses of commercial items in residential settings. Well, I guess I am not. I understand that in other parts of the world, a bidet would be welcome and probably required in the home. Some homes (even in stuffy and conservative Austin) would welcome the use of different materials and features, for instance, an antique Chinese travel chest transformed into a bath room vanity. Or maybe even industrial exterior features geniusly (spell check says this is mis-spelled, but I know no other way)
adapted for use in the kitchen to transport toast from toaster to table. Unfortunately, I am not one of those who believes there is a need for a urinal in the en suite of a master bedroom.  Call me old fashioned, but I really draw the line in the bath with this. I was uncomfortable even knowing it was there. For the most part it was an otherwise nicely constructed home, in a nice area. Just my two cents worth.

Otherwise it was a good Sunday. I did manage to get my creaking bones up and cut some grass here and there. I also went to the back of the property and salvage Mr. Speckles jaw bone, and a couple more of his hooves. I think it is just a matter of time before the critters get all they want of him, and I get his skull and horns and place it on a fire any mound, and let them finish him off. I had never considered anything positive when thinking about fire ants, but folks around here swear by them for carcass cleaning.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, URINALS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 115/250 - Saturday...

I met an old guy on the Hill Country Ride for AIDS today, his name is ME! Today was the fifth time I have been on my bike this year, and overall, I guess I did an acceptable job. I ended up doing 26 of the 45 miles I had planned on. Of course, the plan was formed MONTHS ago when I still had fantasies of training for the ride. Twenty-Six miles in Texas in late May after thunderstorms and fog is not too bad, although it felt much worse while I was actually in the middle of pedaling. I did remember to breath and to keep pedaling most of the time, so overall, it was a successful day and it helped to raise funds for a really good cause. This is a photo of Steve, me, Elton and Andrei. Steve and I rode together. I have seen photographic evidence that Andrei survived and completed the 45 miles with little challenge. I have not heard anything from Elton, I hope he is not in some bushes somewhere with a flat tire.

The new addition to the family seems to be fitting just wonderfully well. Jody bought her a squeaky-toy this afternoon that is about the same size that she is. She has taken a liking to my bed and finds it to be quite adequate. More about her tomorrow, after I rest a bit.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, RIDING, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 114/251 - Friday...

So, you know how it is when you really do not sleep well, like you are sleeping with one eye open? That is what I did last night. We have the new girl in the family, and she is very well behaved and has very good manners, but I was (am) not totally convinced that she does not come to us with a bad habit or two. BUT, even though she travelled a little bit from one room to another, I got up this morning, took her outside and did a thorough survey of the house, and there were no surprises. Jody reports that she has been a good girl today, they went for a ride and she sat in the front seat and enjoyed the ride with him, and all is well on the edge of nowhere!

I am staying in town tonight because I am riding in the Hill Country Ride for AIDS tomorrow. I need to be at Krause Springs in Spicewood tomorrow morning at about seven o'clock, which means I need to be in the road by about 5:30, which means I am going to try and get a good nights sleep tonight. I totally expect that I will be boring you with photos from the ride tomorrow on Facebook and in this journal.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, NEW GIRL, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 113/252 - Thursday...

We would like to introduce you to Ms Maddy.  She has joined the family, and she is a sweet little girl (whose poop smells to high heaven). I am hoping that will subside after she works through the stress of having been in the shelter and being pawed over by the great multitudes of pet seekers at the Georgetown Animal Shelter. We had gone to the Williamson County Shelter yesterday, and Jody found a dog he was interested in, but that poor girl would not have anything to do with either of us, and no one at the shelter could get her to take any interest. This little girl is polite, calm, walks well on a leash, rides in the car well, and just overall is a very nice girl. She is (allegedly) 3 years old, is a corgi/collie mix. The paper work also notes a little bit of cairn terrier in her, but I don't see it. I keep expecting her to say that Timmy has fallen into a well, but so far nothing. She hasn't barked at all, she did talk to Jody a little bit when he was asking her if she wanted to go outside.

We will all get used to the habits of the others, and life will go on, and we will all consider ourselves to be the luckiest people (yes, dogs are people too) in the world.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, MS MADDY, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 112/253 - Wednesday...

I am conflicted. Yes, I admit, I have serious concerns about today. It is Earth Day, 2015.  It is also National Administrative Assistant Day. And National Girl Scout Leadership Day.  And it is NATIONAL JELLY BEAN DAY! Who in the F knew there was a NATIONAL JELLY BEAN DAY? I am sure you can understand my conflict and concern. How could our leadership and elected officials mar the importance of the Earth and JELLY BEANS with honoring them on the same day. I just cannot cope. I will have to try some extra self-medication this evening. 

My friend Chris (not that Chris, another Chris) came up with a pretty good plan. His idea is to make everyday Earth Day, and then designate one day a year to be Asshole Day (a day in which we can all let loose and trash the planet)
. I think that would be a better balance overall. And, I know for sure that assholes and jelly beans go very well together!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, JELLY BEANS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 111/254 - Tuesday...

Overall, this day was not really as good as yesterday, but it certainly was not in the top five worst days ever, either. It started out nicely, with a beautiful sunrise that I got to watch develop sine we live on the edge of nowhere, where there is nothing to obstruct the view!

I was in a little bit more of a hurry to get into Austin this morning, since I had two appointments that would take me from 9:30 until 1 to complete. I did not want to be late, and I had some power real estate that needed to be done before the first appointment. I managed to get everything done, all the ducks were in a row, and I set out.  Back in the office around 1:30, a little more power real estate, and then off for home.

The winds have turned and they are now coming in again from the south, which means warmer weather and more humidity.  It will all be alright, no complaints here for the near term.

Tomorrow will be a simpler day, only one appointment and I am planning to call it a short day.  Jody and I have a couple things we want to get taken car of, so that will be nice.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, SUNRISES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 110/255 - Monday...

I don't know about the rest of you, but I will take a whole slew of Mondays if they were all like this. I got an amazing amount of work done today, and even managed to cross off a couple things on my 'To Done' list that I had been agonizing over for (who knows really) a month or two. AND, I had time to make lots of p[hone calls, follow-ups and even guided a few folks through a class on Ethics. It has been a GREAT day! Don't get me wrong, there are still a couple things on my list to get taken care of, but I have done the worst. I preach that you should do the worst first, but I am pretty bad at taking my own advice. I can give it, I just can't follow it!

I had started to post a relatively boring photo for this entry, but lucky for you all, Barney came to the rescue, so here is a shot of our androgynous cat (not sure if it's a he or a she), and please do not forward the photo to the FORMER vet that takes pride in her 'first kill'. We are happy to have Barney keeping the rodent population in check, so you don't know where we live!

Heads-up in case you are not in my legion of Facebook friends; I am going to be starting a new and controversial Facebook group that will be by invitation only. It is going to be a LOT of fun. The only thing I am waiting for is Chris to come into the office so he can help me get it started. Okay, that is code for I will ask Chris to set the whole thing up for me, because I am old and a Luddite. Stay tuned, it is going to be FUN!

One more thing...I am getting this entry posted early enough that I get to go see a full episode of 'Antiques Road Show'. The day just keeps getting better and better!

I am the luckiest man in the world.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, FREELOADING CATS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 109/256 - Sunday...

I slept in a little bit this morning as well, got up, let the girls loose, emptied 0.41" of rain out of the gauge, made a pile of eggs for me and Jody, and proceeded to cut at some of the grass in the back and the front of the house.

I went into Austin and showed some property to two of my clients, and headed back home.

This is pretty much what Sundays are good for, nice calm and relaxing days.  It has been a beautiful day in Austin, although it could have been made perfect if it were not (already) so hot and humid!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, COLD FRONT, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 108/257 - Saturday...

Put your hand down Jason, I am going to remind everyone of this fact again, it does not make any difference how much you protest. Have I mentioned to you lately that I am the luckiest man in the world?  I didn't think so, so there!

Today was a typical Saturday. Stayed in bed late, made a pile of eggs for me and Jody. Took a nap, went to Pflugerville for a little bit of shopping, then to lunch in Georgetown. Back home, took another couple naps. Went out back to check on the remains of Mr. Speckles. I expect I will be able to pry his bottom jaw loose in another week or so. All is well out here on the edge of nowhere; we got 0.61" of rain overnight, and the radar shows we are in for another round in just a few minutes.

I need to go put the girls to bed before I can have a bowl of spoon size shredded wheat!

Luckiest man in the world!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, RAIN, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 107/258 - Friday...

It's not everyday you go to a wedding, but that is just what I did late this afternoon. One of our friends Toni was married to Jamie, and may they live happily ever after. During the ceremony, the priest (padre, preacher, pontiff, rabbi, whatever) asked a question, and there was a loud, sharp crack of lightning and thunder. I guess he will not ask THAT question during a ceremony again!

And so we actually got some rain today on the edge of nowhere, and I think it is still raining. When I got home, it looked like there was about 0.15" of rain in the gauge, and maybe it will amount to something before it is all over with. Tomorrow will tell. I believe they are saying there is a good chance of rain overnight and into tomorrow, but you know how accurate the weather prognosticators have been lately. SARCASM!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, RAIN, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 106/259 - Thursday...

The day ended (well, almost) with a CTCAR (Central Texas Commercial Association of REALTORS®) bat cruise. It was touch and go for a while, because there were reports of severe thunderstorms heading this way from the south, expected to be right over Austin between 4 and 6 PM. Well, again, the prognosticators have been stellar in their inaccuracy of predictions, and there was nothing more than a few sprinkles here, and according to Jody, there was NOT A DROP of rain on the edge of nowhere. Now to be fair, west of us and east of us there have been some storms and hail, but nothing in the metro area. SO, the bat cruise went on as planned, and it was fun seeing some commercial folks that I have not seen in a while and making some new commercial contacts.  It was also good to see some Texas Association colleagues (Harry, Deb and John) and of course Cathy from the Austin Board. One of the challenges was that the bats chose not to cooperate, but it was a fun evening. This photo was taken from the boat of the folks lined up along the Congress Avenue Bridge, awaiting the bats that did not appear.

Today was a busy and rewarding day.  I made it into the office about 9 o'clock, and did some power real estate, and took off to put lock boxes on two new listings and a sign on one. Two new residential listings entered, and so it may just be a busy weekend. In the middle, we had our monthly office meeting, so all in all, a great day.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, SILHOUETTES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 105/260 - Wednesday...

I never cease to be amazed at what I see on the roads driving from and to the edge of nowhere. The difficult part is turning around and going back to document it. Yesterday I was driving home and saw a man and woman pulled off the road and the lady had an easel set up and was painting a picture of the pasture. There are some nice wildflowers there and several head of cattle. I thought for several seconds and decided it was just too good to pass up, so I turned around and went to talk with them. It turns out this lady used to live in Austin, she now lives in Georgetown, and she goes around painting roadside portraits. Very interesting. In case you want to check out some of her work, her web site is studiozanne.com. Her name is S'zanne, which I think is pretty okay as well!

I slept in a little bit this morning, but still made it into the office by 9 o'clock, and had a very productive day. I am getting ready to make a couple listings live tomorrow, so I am working on getting all that information loaded. I also have a meeting tomorrow evening (Bat Tour on Lady Bird Lake), so that will take up some time as well. Even though out weather prognosticators have been spectacularly inaccurate with their forecasts lately, they are predicting severe rain and storms tomorrow evening. When I am on a boat. I expect that they will be 100% accurate with that forecast.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, ROADSIDES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 104/261 - Tuesday...

I expect this was/is the most common photograph taken by Texas REALTORS® today. Today was the 15th annual Texas REALTOR® Hill Visits, and we took the Capitol by storm. At least by mass! It was a really great day, and it was good to see so many of our colleagues from across the state at the Capitol. There is important business being done this year, and it is important that our elected officials know what is important to us. As a group, REALTORS® get out and vote in greater numbers than most of the other demographics. We tend to vote and take action, we know what the issues are, and we know what is important to our profession and property owners.

After my participation at the Capitol, I had appointments to show property, and that was equally as satisfying.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, HILL VISITS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 103/262 - Monday...

It was a good day and it was a bad day.  Good day because I am seeming to be a little better on the allergy front, bad day because I took Mike to the airport for his return to Florida on my way in to the office this morning.  It was a good day because I was able to get into the office to get some work done, a good day because I attended several meetings with the Texas Association of REALTORS® this afternoon, good because some good progress was made on state and national programs, and good because we are pretty well set for our Texas Hill Visits tomorrow.

Interesting how one bad thing can overshadow several good things. Jody and I do not get to see Mike enough (nor Joe Mac and Carolyn or Jim and Bonnie).  But it was fun to see all of them over the last couple weeks.

It was a really pretty day here in central Texas and the photo above was taken from one of the meeting rooms I was in.  Enjoy!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, GOOD DAYS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 102/263 - Sunday...

This is one of the roses I got about a month ago to replace the Passion Vines that never did anything up against the trellis outside the garage. I put this pink climber on one side and there is a yellow climber on the other side. I am hoping they will climb and meet in the middle. They both seem to be doing well, so I think it might actually work out.

Today was another pretty much slow day. I actually got up this morning about 7:30 and went back to bed until about 9 o'clock. Shortly after that, we (me, Jody, Michael, Jim and Bonnie) headed into town to Michael (different Michael) and Lynda's for brunch. It was delicious, but we were all kind of tired, and we came back to the edge of nowhere and we all went down for naps.

I did manage to get the chicken coop cleaned out, and gathered eggs. We went back to the German Restaurant tonight, and though I was tempted to have the chicken fried steak, I succumbed to the buffet, and now I am miserable for having eaten too much.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, BLOOMS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 101/264 - Saturday...

The day got off to a pretty slow start. I actually stayed in the bed until about 7 o'clock this morning this morning; got the paper, made coffee and made an extra large pile of eggs for me, Jody and Michael.  Then I was off to cut the grass (cut at the grass) up closer to the road, an by the time I quit that, it was dribbling outside. 

Later in the afternoon, our friends Jim and Bonnie arrived from Houston, and shortly after that it was off to Austin for Jody's Birthday (ten days after the fact) celebration and a lovely time was had by all.

Okay, it is way past all of our bedtimes, so I am going to sign out for now. Jody had a wonderful time at the dinner in his honor.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CELEBRATIONS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 100/265 - Friday...

Okay, we are one hundred days into this year already. Holy Crap! Jody, Mike and I went into Georgetown for dinner tonight.  Jody and I both had Shrimp and Grits. My grits were more like a puree than gritty grits, something missing in the experience. BUT, that is the way to go. It was good but no prize winner in my opinion.

It rained for about a half day in Austin, but there was not a drop to be had here on the edge of nowhere. Early in the afternoon, the sun came out in Austin and it was a beautiful day. There was a front that came through, so the temperatures were in the 70s, and the humidity has been greatly reduced. They are still prognosticating rain tomorrow and Sunday, but we will just have to wait and see.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, SUNSHINE, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 99/266 - Thursday...

REWARD:  If you can name this rose and where I can find one, I will send you a reward. It is kind of like a silent auction, only better.  You know anything I will send you will be really cool. What have you got to lose? You could be a winner. BUT WAIT!  THERE'S MORE! If you can identify this rose and tell me where to get one, I will DOUBLE your reward (just pay separate chipping and handling). That's right, two rewards for the price of one piece of information. You can either phone in your response, or use the Interwebs and do it electronically.  BUT HURRY!

Today was really kind of a busy day, and let me tell you, I saw a months worth of stupid before noon.  People are crazy! I have to acknowledge my friend Steve and his Facebook story about the road rage incident he was in yesterday. To my credit, I just call people names and scream at them from the comfort of my air conditioned interior. Honestly, I could write a blog about some of the stuff I saw today.

Jody had a dentist appointment this morning, and then I headed off to the office.  I had an 11 o'clock appointment and a 1 o'clock (Hi Lucy) appointment.  Then we went and picked up our friend Michael at the airport.  Michael will be spending the weekend with us.  Jim and Bonnie will join us all on Saturday.

Gonna be a busy weekend!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CRAZIES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 98/267 - Wednesday...

Carrie and I were honored to be invited to attend the Hunger Heroes luncheon today, honoring two organizations that work to further the cause of the Capital Area Food Bank.  We were invited by Hester and Kris, the two kind, generous and caring women that operate the Austin Empty Bowl Project.  Coming up on the 19th Annual Empty Bowl Project, Hester and Kris were honored for their continued participation and support of the Food Bank.  This is a photo of (from left) Hester, Hank (the Food Bank Director) and Kris.  We were honored to attend today, and we are always pleased to support the Austin Empty Bowl Project.

So let's get down to brass tacks.  The people at the luncheon have no idea what it must be like to be hungry.  We enjoyed a nice lunch of grilled chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, a lovely dessert, and a cool beverage.  THIS IS NOT A COMPLAINT.  I think a better use of the Food Banks funds would have been to feed us what someone that is not secure in knowing where their next meal is coming from eats for lunch on a typical day.  Maybe nothing.  Maybe a cheese sandwich.  I know that 1 in 4 children in the Austin area go hungry on a daily basis, and their care-givers are not confident in where they will be able to find food to feed them.  Thirty percent of the population in the greater Austin area have food insecurities.  When money runs out at the end of the month, their dollar will go further if they buy unhealthy crap food.  Crappy food is cheaper than nutritious food. 

There is too much waste in our society.  We could feed everyone that is hungry if we could just contribute good (but uneaten) foods to worthwhile causes.  Retail establishments could feed hundreds (if not thousands) of hungry people if only they were not being afraid of being sued.  In the past several years, as I toured the banquet cycles, I have witnessed perfectly good food being unceremoniously disposed of because of ordinances and health department standards that prohibit its' distribution.

We need to fix this. 

You are now free to resume your evening.

Deeds, Actions,Changes, HUNGER, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 97/268 - Tuesday...

So, this pretty much sums up all the necessities of life away from home. As a real estate Broker and volunteer servant, this if a relatively accurate representation of what I need to sustain life during the day. Diet Coke, water, coffee, Burt's Bees, a gimme cap and a random bow tie. Of course pens and paper are a given, as is the charging cord for the phone. I don't understand how folks can lets the battery on their phones completely discharge. But again, not everyone is a CDO as I am, and that is probably for the best.

I got into the office very early this morning, I had to touch a lot of the papers on my desk before heading out to a meeting.  Tomorrow will be a calmer day, only one lunch appointment, which means I will get to stay in the office and play catch-up for a while.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, ESSENTIALS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 96/269 - Monday...

The acid reflux started on the ride home, after I picked up this pizza. It's the one we have seen advertised on tv (for which I am a sucker), deep dish, pepperoni and wrapped in a quarter-mile of bacon. I am certain there is some sort of subliminal messaging going on there as well. There is no way in hell that something that looks that good can be good for you. There are no claims to that effect, but on the other hand, there are no disclaimers that your heart valves won't close and constrict after consumption, either. Jody and I each had one piece (there are 8 pieces per box), and agreed it was thick, doughy, cheesy, and not worth another visit. Jody has never had this brand of pizza before, and I am not certain if I have either, although the odds favor that I have since it is (allegedly) a fast food.

It was a clear, bright, sunny (bordering on hot) day here in central Texas. I think the high temperatures reached the mid-80s, and we are still just in the first week of April. The weather forecast for the week has changed a little bit, not so much any rain forecast for us, but there is the threat of some for the Hill Country. That would be extra nice.

I am getting better at the one space after the period thing, but it is still 50/50 remembering and do-over.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, PIZZA, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 95/270 - Easter Sunday...

I hope you all had a great day today! It has taken most of the day for us to receive0.03" of rain. Just constant drizzle all day long, no sun, just chilly and grey and a little bit windy. Speaking of grey, here is official documentation of the grey cat. I thin Barney (the orange striped cat) the this unnamed grey specimen are working Jody in shifts. Barney is waiting to be fed in the mornings when Jody wakes up, now this grey cat is working the afternoon shift, looking pitifully (although neither of them look to be underfed) through the breakfast room window while Jody was working a crossword puzzle. They have the whole thing figured out!

I did (as I reported yesterday) get the riding mower back, and tried it out this morning, dodging droplets of rain.  I cut "at" half of the grass in the front, I will try to get the rest of the front and a little bit of the back done this week. It is not terribly windy right now, but that is supposed to change with the coming week.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CATS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 94/271 - Saturday...

This is what greeted me this morning when I went out to let the girls loose. An unhappy, cornered, snarling 'possum. I choose not to take the blame for its' stupidity, and I chose not to continue the photographic confrontation, so I snapped a couple pictures and went on my way back to the house. You never know what you might run up against out here on the edge of nowhere.

Today was a day of (hopefully) recuperation and not so much on my part. My intention was to recuperate after a fitful night. My nose has pretty much stopped flowing, but overnight I was having coughing fits and could not find a way to comfortably get some sleep. I did get several naps in during the day, and also managed to go into Georgetown this afternoon for lunch, purchase three salvias and pick up the riding lawn mower from repair.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, 'POSSUMS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 93/272 - Friday...

It has been a busy, interesting, crazy and eventful week. It has been a good week as well.  Our friends Joe Mac and Carolyn left this morning, and we were sorry to see them go. They are driving back to Mississippi, and we are hopeful that they will make it home before the bad weather (if it happens) hits the east coast. This is a photo we all posed for this morning as they were leaving.

The "cold" front has come through here, the winds have turned to the north and it is not as humid as it has been. I opened a few windows in the house to cool it off a little bit, and get a little bit of the humidity out of the house.  Allergies are still taking their toll on me, and Jody wonders if opening the windows will introduce more pollens into the house.  I guess we will find out.  If the pseudo Sudafed I am taking is working, I have a really bad case of allergies.  If it is not working, then I have a really bad case of allergies.  Either way I have a really bad case of allergies!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, ALLERGIES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 92/273 - Thursday...

Spring is springing forth with gusto here on the edge of nowhere. We had so much cloud cover for such a long time, that when the sun finally shone, everything just burst into bloom. The Iris are doing wonderfully well, and it is good to see them; kind of like old friends coming back to visit. Cue Joe Mac and Carolyn. But really, between seasons you kind of forget just how glorious the Iris can be, along with all the wildflowers blooming along the roadsides. Very nice. If you look closely in this photo, you can see Vera doing a photo bomb!

Allergies are kicking my butt.  It is kind of unusual for me to be terribly bothered by allergies, but this year seems to be the exception. I am taking pseudo Sudafed, and I do not know if that is working or not, but if it is not, I don't really want to know that either. We are supposed to have rain chances every day for the next seven days, so maybe that will wash some of the pollens out of the air. I hope.

Got some business to take care of in the morning, then some business in the afternoon, and then some monkey business over the weekend. If you have tomorrow off, good for you.

One space after the period is a pain in the ass!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, POLLEN, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 91/274 - Wednesday...

Since today is Jody's birthday, he got to choose the photo of the day for the journal. It was between this photo and a photo of the Walburg Restaurant here we had dinner tonight with our friends Joe Mac and Carolyn. I know, I know, we were at the Walburg Restaurant but I had the chicken fried steak.  Actually, it may really have been the number one chicken fried steak I have had on my on-going quest to find a really good chicken fried steak. Either I have a very discerning palette (which I doubt) or I have just had too many damn chicken fried steaks and nothing stands out anymore.

I am still having trouble with only one space after a period, but at least I think about it more often now than in the past.

Today also marks the 15th anniversary of the real estate company that my business partner Carrie and I started.  Fifteen years...I can still recall speaking with her on the phone trying to think of a company name.  Long, LONG time ago.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, DAYS PAST, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!