Volume 15 - Day 212/153, 2023 - Monday

I've had a lot worse Mondays, but not many (if any) have been hotter than today. 108degrees. It was 80-something this morning when we walked, so it was bearable. I made it in to the office about 9:30, and it was pretty non-stop. I had a very nice lunch with Lynda and Michael, and then headed back to the office, and I left for home about 2:30. I had a couple stops to make on the way, and I am on a search for 'vegetable chips,' potato chips made from vegetables, not potatoes. I bought some in Mexico, and I finished them off yesterday. I stopped at HEB (because I am not cool enough to go to Trader Joe's) and found some made from tomatoes and spinach. Not exactly what I was looking for, but I bought three different varieties. So far, I have tried the vegetable 'straws,' and they are pretty good. I would buy them again. I let you know when I sample the others. I mentioned that I went back to estate sales yesterday, and this is the treasure I got. The frame is likely worth more than I paid for the painting, I just like the bunnies.

Volume 15 - Day 211/154, 2023 - Sunday

Before 9:30 this morning, I had already completed several tasks: I did a walk, watered stuff in the front, bought donuts, gone to Home Depot, stopped at Target, went to an estate sale, and something else, I just can't remember. Candy, Alisha and I met for brunch, and on the way home I stopped at another estate sale. I had already been to both estate sales yesterday, and I found what I wanted at the first one (half-price), but not at the second one. What was already sold to someone else was no great loss, but it was an unusual something. I will survive. I went to see the Barbie movie at 3:15, and on the way in, I met Judy on the way out. So, of course, we hustled someone into taking our picture. Everybody is right, the movie is not what you would expect. It is fun, and interesting, and there is a lot to it. I decided to go pink, and I did not have to specially purchase anything, I already had all the pink you see in this photo. I am sure that says something about me, and if you like, let me know what it is. I ordered some of those green tree watering bags from Amazon yesterday, and they arrived, so I will go out later and install a couple of them, maybe three. I hope it will keep a couple of the trees at the Curious House healthy and alive as we go another month of no watering.

 

Volume 15 - Day 210/155, 2023 - Saturday

So...I had a really good, and full, day today. As usual, the day started with a walk, just me and Paul today. After that, Diane, Pam and I hit a couple estate sales. I bought nothing, Pam bought a couple things, and Diane was the big winner today. After the estate sales, I took the girls to the beautiful parlor, and then I went to the movies: Disney's Haunted Mansion. I remembered seeing a headline in the paper yesterday, and it was not complimentary. When I got home, I dug the paper out of the recycling to read their review. I agreed with it. It was not nearly as good as I was expecting it to be, and all the 'names' were hardly recognizable. I do not give this one a thumbs up. I have a ticket to go see Barbie tomorrow afternoon. I got out of the movie at 2:43 and at about 2:45 I got a text that the girls were ready to be picked up. I made a quick stop at Home Depot, and then went and got the girls. Tonight was the neighbors dinner night, and there were 13 of us there. We went to a place called Bright in Cedar Park, and it was really fun, and there was a lot of conversation. All good. I have a few things on my list to get done tomorrow, and it will all get done...eventually.

Volume 15 - Day 209/156, 2023 - Friday

Well, I have urges. I have cravings. Today, I could fight the urge for some kind of fast food. I have been pretty good this YEAR, actually. I have been trying to eat better, eat less, you know the drill. Today, I just could not stop. My real craving was a Cheese Whopper, no lettuce, no tomato, extra ketchup, cut in half. I actually wanted two, just so I could have one in reserve in the refrigerator. Then I remembered this new kind of sandwich I have seen advertised from KFC ( the Ultimate BBQ Fried Chicken Sandwich Combo). To be honest, the fast food selection close to the Curious House is not too impressive, and I really don't want to go out of my way for it. I got to the KFC and the menu was a thing they call the Fill Up Box. That is what I ended up ordering. I ate the french fries part on the way home (they were served up cold), and a couple of the chicken tenders. Honestly, it was kind of disappointing, but it did the trick. Otherwise, not a bad day today. I had some office stuff to do, some more office stuff to do, and now I am just looking forward to the weekend. There are two estate sales tomorrow, but before that, later on tonight, I need to go out and hand water the stuff in the backyard. This year, I made a conscious decision to have less potted plants in the front and the back, in order to require less hand watering. Now, we are in stage 3 water restrictions, so we cannot use the sprinkler system for watering, and EVERYTHING that can be watered has to be hand watered. Kind of ironic!

Volume 15 - Day 208/157, 2023 - Thursday

It appears I am the custodian on Margie's Ken Doll. He will be residing in a place of honor until sometime in late October, when Marge and Richard return from their abandonment of their neighbors near the Curious House. Abandonment may be a harsh word, since they return to their home outside Chicago every summer. Pretty smart. Dick and Marge attended book club last night, via zoom, and Marge won one of the door prizes, the Ken Doll. Diane won the other prize, a mesh bag of shells. I have no interest in being the custodian of the shells, but Ken is kind of a looker! By noon today, I finished three meetings, one by zoom and two in person. Then it was off to the office, and I left for the curious house about two o'clock. I have one appointment tomorrow, and next week looks pretty open, just the way I like it. I am pretty sure there will be a group of us hitting estate sales on Saturday, the girls have an appointment at the beautiful parlor, and the neighbors are meeting for dinner on Saturday night. Fun city!

Volume 15 - Day 207/158, 2023 - Wednesday

Honestly, I kind of think zoom meetings are overrated. There were some yesterday, there were some today, and there will be some more tomorrow. All okay, but they are kind of like cluster bombs, the zooms all seem to be scheduled in clusters. I'm not sure if there is anything to zoom onto on Friday, but that too shall pass. I did half a walk this morning, it was fun to be back with the group, but there was a nine o'clock meeting in the office, and, well, then there were the zooms... In the middle, I had a couple errands to run, and then I had to go to the bank. More specifically, UFCU. More specifically, a place I am tired of, and if I had not been a client for fifty or sixty years (exaggeration), I would change. BUT, this time, I am really considering leaving before they get the chance to ask me to leave. My deadline is August 1st, the day after the monthly earned interests are posted. Tonight is book club, and I will be heading over to Pam and Paul's in about another 30 minutes. Still bingeing on Grace and Frankie, I'm towards the end of season 5, I think. It's kind of like my life if I were living it in drag. Well, then again...

Volume 15 - Day 206/159, 2023 - Tuesday

This entry does not contain anything negative, it is jut an observation. I am not happy that this stuff we used to call grass is now simply referred to as 'dead.' I doubt that it is really dead, but it has been three weeks since it has been watered, and it will be (probably) another two weeks before it will get any more water. City water that is. Probably longer before it will get any rain. It's done for the good of the many. No real sacrifice. I have been in Texas for 38 years, and I have experienced both droughts and floods. One follows the other. The drought this year may seem worse that others I have experienced, caused somewhat by the population explosion. There are lots more people in Texas, central Texas specifically. Lots of people want to live here, and lots of people need water. I am pretty sure this will pass, and maybe we will learn something this time. Nothing breaks a drought like a flood, I have said it before and I will say it again. In other news, I made it back in to the office this morning, it did not take me long to get caught up, a testament to the folks that work with us. I have a couple new tenant orientations this week, and then it will be the weekend, and all will be good.

Volume 15 - Day 205/160, 2023 - Monday

I'd like to introduce you to the Barks-a-Lot sisters, Callie and Lexie. This is a photo of them on duty, they take their Neighborhood Watch responsibilities very seriously, and not a person or thing gets past them. They are on a hiatus right now, back at the Curious House, where they will be de-briefed at some point tomorrow, and I expect there will be very little information shared that will require follow-up. The girls are back home and I am back home with them. It was a fun several days in Playa del Carmen, and it is honestly warmer here than it is several hundred miles south, thanks to their Caribbean breezes. I doubt that I will do much unpacking tonight, I have all the important stuff readily available, and I think I am just about to call it a night. The first couple days going forward will be a little bit hectic, but it will all be okay, just a little bit of catching up to do. 

Volume 15 - Day 204/161, 2023 - Sunday

Let me be clear about why I might (MIGHT), be becoming a snob about PDC. Last night I booked a tour to go snorkeling and then to visit a cenote. I was the first person to be picked up, and I met a lot of very nice people that I shared the day with. Two sets of couples from Germany, and a really nice family from Connecticut. All those folks were visiting Playa for the first time. I looked at a few places close to where they were all staying, and they were NOT where I wanted to be. Too far, too family, mostly too far. So, I settled in right where I settled in, and am totally happy. I just think that if I was not where I ended up, I would not really be experiencing the PDC experience. And it is, probably, the experience that is making the experience so much fun. Got it? Anyway, I had a really good time today. Snorkeling...I lost count of the number of turtles we saw, big and small, sting rays big and small. Lots of pretty fish, a little bit of coral here and there. Then we took off to a cenote, the first time for me to visit one. I wanted to many times, but never did. Once I got home from the excursion, I headed down to 54th Street (the condo is aat 32nd Street) and turned left. At about 10th Avenue, the street market started. It went on to about 30th Avenue, which doesn't sound very big, but I thought it was going to go on forever. SO...all in all, it was a very good day, and...by the way, I doubt that I am becoming a PDC snob. Just sayin'...

Volume 15 - Day 203/162, 2023 - Saturday

It gets dark here much earlier than I am used to, and I should also just admit the fact that I am not nearly as photogenic as I think I might have been many years ago. It gets dark earlier because (I believe) PDC is directly south of Mobile, Alabama, so much further east that we are at the Curious House. My lack of photogenics is due, mainly, because I am not photogenic. Simple. It was a quiet day today, I sat by the pool (where I had the whole thing to myself), went for a nice long walk, ordered a pizza to go, at pizza, continued binge watching Grace and Frankie, and then went out and sat on the beach for a while. Tomorrow, I am taking a half-day tour to check out sea turtles and snorkel at a cenote. I think it will be fun, and there is always a chance that I won't be the only single on the tour. Apparently the crescent moon tonight is not all that photogenic either, so if you are reading this, I recommend you go outside and look up, it is really pretty. You can probably do it Sunday night too, let me know what you think.

volume 15 - Day 202/163, 2023 Friday

You know, when you get right down to it, there are a lot of things in Mexico that are the same as they are in Texas. I'll get to that several sentences dwon from here. I got up this morning and walked a half block to the first 7-11 and got my large coffee. When I got home, I think I had a banana, got showered, and went to meet my friend Steve for breakfast. We had a nice breakfast, and got caught up on some stuff, and then I had to take off. The cable people were scheduled to be at the condo between 10AM and 6PM. I decided that there was a possibility that if the cable people were coming, I might need some power strips, so I found out the best place to get them. When Mike and I were here in early June, we had a great taxi driver that was really helpful in navigating the local Walmart, and letting us know what the scoop was with stuff. I bought two tvs that trip, and the driver (Candy Crush) was great. So I WhatsApp'd him this morning, and he took me to the Los Americanos Mall on the other side of the freeway. VERY NICE mall, totally cool, and we were in and out in 20 minutes. I got power strips, a clock radio and a set of headphones so I can use my newly acquired Netflix skill on the flight home on Monday. After a while, I decided to go back to the grocery for some dinner, and saw the police friends Mike and I made when we were here. We bought them ice cream last time, and I bought them ice cream again this afternoon. I forgot to carry my grocery bag, so I called off the grocery, and got a sandwich at Subway. After that, I called Mike, and we talked for a while, then I watched more Netflix. I'm on season 2 episode 3 (or four). And the cable people never showed up. That is the part that is the same as in the states. UGH!

Volume 15 - Day 201/164, 2023 - Thursday

I got my permanent residency finished today, and I am happy about that. I had an appointment at the MexLaw place, I got there at 7:45. We had an appointment at Immigration at 9 o'clock, they called me in at 11:15. Then there was a bit of a wait for the card to be printed. We left there at about 11:45. Then back to MexLaw to get the certified copy of the condo deed, then back to the condo. I am having a good time here in Playa, it is very different than in Texas, and I like it. I like walking the three or four blocks to the grocery on a daily basis. I like walking everywhere I need to go. There are no real downsides to it, so far. It is definitely hot here, but it is (currently) hotter in Texas. It is amazing how much cooler it gets in the evenings, especially on the beach. There is usually a nice breeze. I don't do too many things differently here than I do at the Curious House, but it is in Playa, and it is just different. My friend Steve is back in Playa as of this afternoon, and I am meeting him and Silvia for breakfast tomorrow. Then I have an appointment with the cable people, so that is one of those 'we will be there sometime tomorrow' things, so I am trapped. It will all be okay. I doubt that I will ever really live here full time, but my plan is to spend 9 to 12 weeks here, per year. I think that will be a good balance. The condo was in the VRBO pool eleven nights in June, and so far ten nights in July. There could still be a couple more nights rented, and this is the slow season, so I think it is doing okay. No regrets. I doubt that there was anything really confidential that could be hacked on the residency card, but just to be safe, I cropped it for this journal entry...

Volume 15 - Day 200/165, 2023 - Wednesday

It's been kind of a long day. I got up really early, finished doing stuff that needed to be done, and took off for the airport at 6AM. No traffic issues, no travel issues, all was good. When I got on the limo to take me to Playa, the driver was just a little bit confused, and insisted that he was supposed to take me to a Hyatt, somewhere outside Playa. We got that straightened out, and all has been good since then. I got settled in about 3 this afternoon, and then took a quick trip to the grocery; bananas, 2 muffins, three diet Cokes and a carton of milk. I'm not sure how this could be, but my credit card says I spent $12. I'll believe it when I see the statement. I went to dinner tonight at a place I have been several times before, had a brisket sammich, and then headed for the beach, where I proceeded to get my feet wet, and then headed back to the condo. I had done some work this afternoon, and I did all the follow-up stuff when I got back from dinner. Still more to get done tomorrow and Friday, but I am pacing myself. Tomorrow I have a 9AM appointment with immigration, and I hope I have all the stuff dine that they need done. I am pretty sure I have it all under control.

Volume 15 - Day 199/166, 2023 - Tuesday

You know that, if I am posting, I did NOT win the PowerBall. There is a chance that I could win the MegaMillions tonight, I will let you know. Maybe. Nobody won the PowerBall, and I already have my ticket for the next time. I did win a combined $23. I guess it could have been worse. I am begrudgingly paying attention to the water issues we are having here around the Curious House. No outdoor lawn sprinkling is allowed. Not all of Georgetown, just parts of Georgetown, and the Curious House in in the part that cannot irrigate the landscaping. I know there are LTOS of people that will not pay attention to the problem, and by paying attention to it myself, I get to be smug about it. And maybe I will just xeriscape the front yard in the coming months. I need to keep turf in the backyard for the gurls. I went to 600 Degrees Pizza with Linda and Jimmie last night, as if we needed any reminders that it was hot outside. I am just about ready to head out of town tomorrow, and I will be back late Monday night. The girls are happily ensconced with Paulina, Val and Oliver. They are totally spoiled, and I expect that when I get back on Monday, they will not want to come back to the Curious House. Ugh.

Volume 15 - Day 198/167, 2023 - Monday

I think it is fun thinking about what you would do if you won the lottery. I don't expect to win, but the daydreams over the past couple of weeks has been worth all the money I have spent...and I won six dollars while I was at it. It is still hot. Nothing much left to say about that. It was a bit less humid this morning when we walked, and that was pleasant. Not a bad day in the office, in fact, all was good. I have a list of stuff that I am trying to get accomplished before I take off on Wednesday, and I am pretty sure I will get it all done. Laundry is on the list for today, but I think I will postpone that until tomorrow. Almost everything on the list is easily accomplished, the worst of it is washing the Piglet's face before she goes to spend the week with Val, Paulina and Oliver. She needs to be all purteed up before she goes a'callin'. 

Volume 15 - Day 197/168, 2023 - Sunday

I am so very tired of talking about how hot it is, but that is just about the only thing we think about in central Texas these days. And in Georgetown and Leander, we can no longer run our yard sprinklers, due to (I think) the fact that the city cannot treat the water quickly enough. That is my opinion, but there is no clear reason provided by the people in charge. I am not complaining, it is just what happens when the heat is so oppressive, and people complain. Whatever. We had a nice walk this morning, and then I did a few chores around the house. I did not go anywhere at all, until Val, Paulina and Oliver came over snd we went to dinner in Georgetown. Tony & Luigi's. I have veal parmesan. I almost always have veal parmesan. And calamari to start. Very good. Back home, and I am ready to retire to the big chair, play with the girls a little bit, and call it a day. Or a night. 

Volume 15 - Day 196/169, 2023 - Saturday

This is the 'volunteer' Pride of Barbados, that came along for the ride in the planter of Tradescantia Zebrina (look it up) that I inherited when Dan and Nancy moved to Las Cruces. My intention was to transplant it but I could not pull it out of the planter, so it is still there, doing what it wants to do. I love the blooms, and I hope it has a long, long life. I went to a movie this afternoon with my friend Teri, Asteroid City. I have seen the trailers for the movie for a couple months, and I have always thought it was odd and worth viewing. There is no way I can describe the movie to you, but I will tell you it is visually excellent. I have no idea how anyone could have thought up all the stuff in the movie, but Tom Hanks is in it, so that is all you need to know. I can honestly report too, there are at least a dozen, probably more, cameo appearances by much of Hollywood. There is also a possibility that I will go back and see it again, we will just have to see. Other than that, I got a couple other things accomplished today, and my chore list was short, and that was appreciated. Not everyday has to be filled to the brim. If I win PowerBall tonight, there will be no journal entry tomorrow. And probably the next day, too.

Volume 15 - Day 195/170, 2023 - Friday

I have begrudgingly turned the lawn sprinklers off. This afternoon, it was announced that we are now in a 'Stage 3' watering restriction. No outdoor watering. This is only effective for the next three days, which means my yard will not have any water for at least two weeks. UGH. I understand that we are in a drought, but it is still difficult to try and do what is needed, knowing full well that it will be ignored by many of my neighbors. Case in point: There was a grass fire on IH-35 this afternoon, and the fire department was busy dousing the flames with WATER. That is not my original sarcastic thought, but I told the person that said it that I would not give them credit for the sarcasm. It is still hot, but we are still luckier than most people in the world. They opened a new Costco in Georgetown today, and we had to (of course we did) go check it out on opening day. I don't think it was really any more congested than any other day at Costco, but the parking lot was full. Then we went in to Georgetown for dinner at Jimmie Vegas' Smokehouse, one of my favorite new bar-b-cue places in the area. Very good. I don't have a whole lot of stuff planned for the weekend, and I like that just fine.

Volume 15 - Day 194/171, 2023 - Thursday

It is hot, I have no recollection of exactly how hot it was today, but take my word for it, it was hot. No rain in the forecasts for the next two weeks. We shall survive (I am pretty sure), but it will be close. Sadly, I attended Pauline's service this morning, and saw a few old friends, and it was an interesting drive out there. There is a LOT of development going on, but civilization has yet to begin encroaching on the Estate at the Edge of Nowhere. There is a lot of stuff happening close to Walburg, but the farm is still much as it was when we lived there. If you squint your eyes at this photo, you might be able to see the porch and right corner of the house. I got in to the office at about noon, and there was plenty of stuff to get done. We did order pizza though, so that was good. The pizza. That was good. Tomorrow will be another busy day, and I think I will probably be showing property again on Saturday. Dinner with Val, Paulina and Oliver is booked for Sunday night, and otherwise, the most important thing on my list for the weekend is to try and remain cool. 

Volume 15 - Day 193/172, 2023 - Wednesday

This journal is becoming somewhat repetitive, but the really big news continues to be the heat. Today, the high temperature in both Austin and Georgetown was 108 degrees, and that is in the shade. The local weather guy just reported that it is 'absurdly hot.' That is actually a pretty good description! If you can find shade. My handy dandy electronic weather center shows a little bit over 117 degrees. I know that is not official, but it is hot. Other than the heat, today was a pretty good day. A good walk this morning, and then I headed in to Austin to attend a Legislative update at the Austin Board of REALTORS®. Lots of good information shared, a well done overview. Julia and Seth from Texas REALTORS® and Bill (the other Bill) and Taylor from ABoR. If you are looking for me tomorrow, late morning and early afternoon, I will be the guy sitting by himself in the furthest back pew at St. John Lutheran in Bartlett. Pauline, our former neighbor when we were living at the farm, passed away over the weekend. Pauline used to shower us with cookies and kindness, and I only saw her once or twice since I moved to the Curious House. I will be there to pay my respects, and to give Hubert a hug.

Volume 15 - Day 192/173, 2023 - Tuesday

I didn't make it to the ROMEO breakfast this morning, because I had a zoom class scheduled for 8:30 in the morning, followed by another class at 1 o'clock this afternoon. I would have preferred my usual Trifecta (plain pancake, two eggs over easy and two strips of bacon), but I got the classes done, and I don't have to worry about that for another two years. The tough part is sitting down for eight hours, and not being distracted. Another distraction was, I had to remember to be careful how I moved around, since I was not wearing any pants. The whole thing got done without a hitch, and all is good. I did clean and refill the other two humming bird feeders out in the back porch, and today I saw three hummers at the same time. Prior to this, I had only seen single hummers hanging around out back. It is still really hot, and it is taking a toll on the morning glories. I will need to hand water them tomorrow morning before I head to the office. No relief from the heat, and no rain in sight, but we are doing better than many areas of the country...no flooding, no houses sliding down into canyons...just take it one day at a time.

Volume 15 - Day 191/174, 2023 - Monday

Today was a bunch of Mondays, all wrapped into one. It started off well enough, a nice walk with Peter and Paul. Then in to the office, where it was pretty hectic. I admit that my tolerance for hectic days in the office is greatly reduced, so it might have been just another ordinary day in the office. I got home about 3:30, and I had a few things to do, and then I headed out to dinner with Jimmie and Linda. We went to a place in Austin called Bon Air, in north Austin, and I had never heard of the place. I had a half-dozen peel & eat 'em shrimp at 39 cents each, and a brat wurst, and fries. All very good, the shrimp were great, and I will be back again. While we were there, another neighbor (Yo, pronounced Jo) called and said she made banana nut bread, and had a loaf for me. SO...I had a great day of neighbors being kind and thoughtful, and it just goes to reinforce what I say very often, I am a lucky man! I will be home all day tomorrow, I am taking two on-line classes, so it will be a day of no pants. Perfect!

Volume 15 - Day 190/175, 2023 - Sunday

Well, well, well...Caesalpinia pulcherrima is a species of flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae, native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas. It could be native to the West Indies,^[3] but its exact origin is unknown due to widespread cultivation.^[2] Common names for this species include poinciana, peacock flower, red bird of paradise, Mexican bird of paradise, dwarf poinciana, pride of Barbados, flos pavonis, and flamboyant-de-jardin.^{[citation needed]} The Hawaiian name for this plant is ʻohai aliʻi.^[4] I had a couple spurts of energy today, and one of the things on my list was to do a little bit of weeding, and to take a 'volunteer' Pride of Barbados out of the giant pot of Tradescantia Zebrina (google it) on the front patio, and transplant it into one of the garden beds. Nope, it would not allow itself to be removed, so I went on to plan B. I had a couple errands to run this morning, one of which was to stop at HEB, and there, lo and behold, were one gallon pots of Pride of Barbados. Six buck a piece. I got four of them, and will put them in the ground after the sun goes down tonight. I won't bore you with the discussion of being overcharged for the plants, then thinking I had been undercharged, then figuring out I had, at last glance, been overcharged 97 cents, and by then it was worth 97 cents just to get out of the HEB. If all goes well, they will grow well for the rest of the summer, and winter over to be even better next year!

Volume 15 - Day 189/176, 2023 - Saturday

My love affair with peaches is over. I am sure it was more than an infatuation, it was true love. Peaches have been disappointing me for the past several years, and I am not going to put up with it anymore. On my way to show homes this morning, after the walk (it was just me and Jack), I stopped at a roadside stand that was advertising HILL COUNTRY PEACHES, and in smaller print, it said Fredericksburg Peaches. I asked the mad if they were really Fredericksburg peaches, and he assured me they were, even went so far as to tell me the particular farm at which they were picked. As if I know the names of any peach farms in Fredericksburg. I shared the peaches with my clients, and this evening, I tried one. Nothing. No flavor. No peach taste. I AM DONE. I finished my audible book this afternoon, and I enjoyed it a lot. Night Will Find You. Very good. I will start me book club selection sometime next week, Save What's Left. I'm back...I had to go get some sheets out of the dryer and fold them before they got all wrinkly. I've got one more load of laundry going, and then I think that will be it for the day. I have watered stuff in the front and back, and a bunch of miscellaneous stuff around the Curious House. I have not even bothered to make a chore list for this weekend. Just playing it as it goes. Not sure yet what tomorrow might bring, we shall see.

Volume 15 - Day 188/177, 2023 - Friday

Even at my advanced age, I frequently amaze myself at the new things I learn. Case in point: Today, I learned how you tell if the baby's diaper needs to be changed. If it is not obvious by the photo attached to this journal entry, the answer is...take a whiff. Yep, if it passes the smell test, you don't need to change it. Shortly after our walk this morning, I took off to show some great clients some great houses. I am pretty sure all parties involved had a good time, and I think we will take second looks at a few homes tomorrow. I am lucky that I like what I do, and that I am lucky enough that I can do what I like. Tomorrow is probably not going to be an estate sale day, but maybe Sunday. We will just need to wait and see.

Volume 15 - Day 187/178, 2023 - Thursday

It's Thursday, not that there is anything wrong with that, and there were a couple surprises today. I am not sure if the temperature got into the nineties, I think the high temperature in Austin was 87. And, there was some rain in Austin, but nothing in Georgetown, where the Curious House is located. But, we will take the lower temperatures and smile about it. Right now, it is 85 degrees outside the Curious House, and that is kind of a miracle in itself! We (Paul, Jack and myself) had a good walk, solved many of the worlds problems, all in less than an hour. I got in to the office a little bit early, it was going to be a busy day. Listing appointments, getting ready for some far flung showings tomorrow, and adding stuff to the MLS. Right now, the sun is shining, the wind is blowing, the air conditioner is working, and all is right with the world.

Volume 15 - Day 186/179, 2023 - Wednesday

There were five of us on the walk this morning, and I love looking up and seeing great clouds like these. If you have been following this journal for a while, you know I love including photos of clouds. I got in to the office kind of early this morning, there was lots of stuff to do after the long weekend. But, everything got done, and I got some extra stuff done as well. I have appointments tomorrow and Friday; tomorrow to put a house on the sales market, and talk with a potential new property management client. Starting on Friday, I will be showing out of town buyers properties...it is going to be fun. It was a quiet, tasteful day overall, nothing much to report. Maybe tomorrow will be more exciting.

Volume 15 - Day 185/180, 2023 - Tuesday, The Fourth of July

I've had a nice, quiet Fourth of July, just the way I wanted it. Of course, it started off with a walk, then the ROMEO breakfast. Peter, Paul and I walked, Paul, Ronnie and I had a nice breakfast. After breakfast, I went to the Goodwill store, looking for a new walking t-shirt. I decided the neon green one I alternate (with a neon orange one) had given its' best, and it was tire for it to be retired. There were no t-shirts at the Goodwill that appealed to me. But, the neon green one has officially been retired. Then I was off to the office, where I had a nice bit of quiet time, posting rents and depositing checks. I had a nice, leisurely drive home, and got gas in the little white car. There were a few drops of rain, which will officially count as a 'trace' on my report tomorrow. After a nap, I am proud to report that I have done my accounting for the first 185 days of 2023, and I am caught up with my accounting for 2023 tax purposes. I hope I can keep up with it for the rest of the year. I expect you are all wondering about the photo accompanying this journal entry. Let me explain. When we got to breakfast this morning, the table was not at all level, and there was very little we (okay, it was me) could think of to keep it from wobbling. I finally determined that one of the coffee creamers, the little plastic, single serving things, would fit perfectly to stabilize the table. It worked perfectly until it didn't, and with a great flare, the table settled onto it and spewed cream about 15 feet across the room, virtually accosting a lady sitting at a table with her two children. To say she was surprised by the dairy emission would be the understatement of the year, but all ended well. No names were exchanged, and no lawsuits are pending. Just another day in the life...

Volume 15 - Day 184/181, 2023 - Monday

By the time I found this peach stand, I had already bought three peaches at HEB. This particular stand is not professing to be Fredericksburg peaches, so I was probably better off getting the HEB peaches. How is it I can go to HEB two or three times a week, and there is nothing in the house to eat? That is a mystery to me. I went to HEB today, then I went to the office, then I went to Trader Joe's and there is still VERY LITTLE consumable food in the house. I also made a stop at a donut shop, and bought two apple bear claws. I am obviously on a downward spiral, and I don't think this will end well. I did get a few things off my chore list, and Peter, Paul and I walked this morning. If I change my drag name from Edie to Mary, we could be Peter, Paul and Mary. What do you think? Tomorrow will be the official Holiday, and I will once again go in to the office, just to see what is going on. That will be after the ROMEO breakfast, of course. I started listening to a new book this afternoon, and I got hooked on it right away...usually it takes two or three chapters before I actually pay attention. I am easily distracted. This book is called Night Will Find You, by Julia Heaberlin, and so far I really like it. If you like reading (or listening), you should check it out.

Volume 15 - Day 183/182, 2023 - Sunday

I kind of took the day off today. It was just me and Paul walking this morning, and then I went to brunch with Alisha, Reuben, Christie and Terry. I got home from brunch and did not do anything else except take naps and was Forensic Files. I was on kind of a mini-mission to find some Fredericksburg peaches after brunch, but there were none at the usual little stand I go to every year. Maybe tomorrow. I woke up this morning, and I felt like I had a fever, maybe from the Covid booster I got yesterday, but according to my electronic thermometer, nope, no fever. I will also go in to the office for a little while tomorrow, and the same thing on Tuesday. Just long enough to look at stuff, post rents and make a deposit. I also got all the clocks wound, so that in itself is an accomplishment. The photo accompanying this journal entry was taken last Friday. I subscribe to the Austin American-Statesman (Austin American Misstatement), and it is not the least bit unusual for me not to receive the newspaper that I have subscribed to. No big deal, they have my money. But it is unusual for me to get a Wall Street Journal instead of the Austin newspaper. I understand they are all delivered by the same person, but there needs to be some sort of better control. UGH. Oh, and there is a banana in the photo, too.

Volume 15 - Day 182/183, 2023 - Saturday

By 12:01PM (one minute after noon), I was back home feeling accomplished. I had done our walk, made scrambled eggs for me and the girls, given the girls their monthly pill, visited two different Walgreen's to get my Covid booster, done some grocery shopping and had the car inspected. I was aware of the new Covid vaccine, Bivalent, and I thought there was only one Bivalent. Well, when I got to the first Walgreen's (I had made an appointment in advance), they asked me which vaccine did I want, and I said the new one, the Bivalent. But which one do you want, it looks like you have been getting Moderna, some people get Pfizer. I thought there was only one vaccine, what's the difference? There is no difference. Then why are you asking? Because you can choose Moderna or Pfizer, and it looks like you have always gotten the Moderna vaccine. What's the difference? There is no difference. I'll take the Moderna, then. We don't carry the Moderna vaccine, we only have the Pfizer. Then why did you give me a choice? Because it looks like you have always chosen Moderna. But you said there was no difference. But we have to ask. Where can I get the Moderna vaccine. The other Walgreen's on Booty's Road. Do I need an appointment? No you can just walk in. Okay. I get to the other Walgreen's. Did the other store call you and warn you that I was headed this way? No. I was told I could just walk in and get a Covid vaccine. They told you wrong. Can I get a vaccination? Yes. Today? Yes. Which one do you want, Pfizer or Moderna? What's the difference? There is no difference. Then why are you asking? Because some people want Moderna and others want the Pfizer. What's the difference? There is no difference. I could go on and on for another thirty minutes, but I got the shot, finished the rest of the stuff I had planned to do, and got home by12:01PM. Done. PS: They put on the band aid, not me. I am upright, the band aid is upside down.