Volume 14 - Day 315/50, 2022 - Friday

Another good day of governance meetings and RPAC meetings, The first was at 8:30 this morning, and the meetings (for me) went on until 2 o'clock. My friend Mike from Delray Beach came up to Orlando, and we all went to the trade show for a while. Then there was an opportunity for a quick nap, but we didn't nap at all. Then we were off for the evening. Our first stop was at the Ice Bar. I have been to an Ice Bar in DC, and now this one in Orlando. You do not go to the ice bar for the liquor or for the food, you go to the Ice Bar for the ice. You don heavy coats (provided) and gloves (provided) and you go in to what could pass for a freezer at either a restaurant or a 7-11. Some of our group were visibly shivering in the cold room, but I was not particularly bothered. My fingers were cold, even with the gloves on, but my fingers and toes are always the first things to get cold in the cooler climes. After the Ice Bar, we headed to Universal Studios, where part of the park was restricted to the REALTOR® attendees. We got there at about 9 o'clock, and I rode both of the Harry Potter rides, and that was enough for me. We got back to the hotel at about midnight, and as I write this, it is almost 1:30 on Saturday morning. My irst meeting is again at 8:30, so I need to get a few hours sleep.

Volume 14 - Day 314/51, 2022 - Thursday

There is certainly no lack of photos that could easily grace this journal entry. The real challenge was which one to use from, probably, at least a hundred images. It has been a pretty long day...several meetings throughout the day, lunch with friends, and finally the installation of our 2023 NAR Chair, Kenny Parcell from Utah. I have known Kenny for many years, and there is no doubt he will great advocate for all the things we believe to be worthwhile. It has been fun to see so many friends and colleagues that we have worked with for so many years.It is a great organization, and it includes hundreds of volunteers that donate their time and expertise to make our profession a better one. My work with this organization makes me happy, and I will definitely miss it when my volunteer days come to an end. I often wonder what will be next.

Volume 14 - Day 323/52, 2022 - Wednesday

My 7AM flight out of Austin this morning, MIGHT have been the last flight out of Austin heading to Orlando. All is good here, so far, expecting some wind and more rain about 1 o'clock Thursday morning, and I hope I sleep through the whole thing. I was up at 4 o'clock this morning, left the house at 5:15, got to the airport at 6-ish and the plane left at 7. The flight was uneventful, there were lots of my colleagues on the plane, and we got to the hotel about 2. I have definitely had worse days! A nap was in order, and then we got together for dinner with the TREPAC team, and that is always fun. My first meeting tomorrow is scheduled at 1 o'clock, but I plan to crash a couple meetings, starting at 9. Lots of things are closed here, or delayed tomorrow, and the local news is all hurricane, all the time. There are a couple high rise condo towers that have been deemed unsafe, and being evacuated. Ugh.

Volume 14 - Day 312/53, 2022 - Tuesday

I include with this journal entry the obligatory photo of the lunar eclipse. I do not think the photo is of any  particular note, but I got my ass up at 4 o'clock this morning, so I am damn sure going to share it with you. So there. It is my journal and I will do with it what I like! Otherwise, it was a rather unremarkable day. We had our walk this morning, and we did get a little spritz of rain while we were walking, and then the ROMEOs met for breakfast. There are now five us us: Me, Jay, Dick, Paul and Jack. Somewhere along the line, we lost Peter, and I think we need to see if he still wants to play. I got in to the office and made some tremendous accomplishments, and I am really happy about that. Once I got home, there was little to do, and I am determined NOT to watch the election results all night. I will occupy my time otherwise, thanks. SO...goodnight dear readers!

Volume 14 - Day 311/54, 2022 - Monday

When we left for our walk this morning, it was 73 degrees and 97% humidity. That is code for 'feels like' 120 degrees and three thousand percent humidity. It is November 7th Mother Nature, did you not get the memo? It is supposed to cool down towards the end of the week, and we will welcome that for a couple days before we start complaining. It was a little bit dribbly today, spotty little patches of rain here and there, nothing really to get excited about, and the windshield wipers hardly came on at all. I marked a lot of stuff off my list at the office, and that was good. I had a couple appointments, too, and those went well. Tomorrow is election day, I think everyone needs to exercise that right, so I hope you all vote and let your voice be heard. I have a couple things to get done tomorrow, laundry is one of those things, and that is a 'must do!' Otherwise, not a lot more going on, not that there is anything wrong with that. I almost forgot. Go up and look at the first sentence in this post. On our walk, one of the houses we pass has this inflatable Christmas display working already. Santa is not really ready, which is why I think he was ready to fall over dead. Yeah...it might be just a little early for this. Not judging. Oh yeah, and I think I will set my alarm to see the lunar eclipse tomorrow morning. If you need a wake-up call from me, send me a text.

Volume 14 - Day 310/55, 2022 - Sunday

This morning, Dick, Jay and I (with Ginger and Willie) walked down to the bottom of the Parkway, and over to the new areas that are being developed south and east of us. Lots of new home construction, lots of infrastructure being installed, lots of pasture and grazing lands going away, lots of people moving in to central Texas. The building boom is going crazy, and central Texas has nothing if not jobs. Jobs are driving all this. After our walk, Terry and I met Alisha and Reuben for brunch, then back home and Teri and I went in to Austin to attend the Travis Heights Art Walk. Neither one of us bought anything, but it was fun. We made a stop at Sandy's and got a cup of frozen custard. Then we drove around Austin a bit and I showed Teri a couple places where Jody and I used to hang out, where Jody lived on Windsor Road, and more or less just drove around. then we went to Round Rock and showed her a little bit of downtown Round Rock. There is, after all, only a little bit of downtown Round Rock. This should be a pretty good week, I'll let you know how it turns out.

Volume 14 - Day 309/56, 2022 - Saturday

For a Saturday evening, I am kind of tired. I spent a goodly portion of the day worrying with clocks, in dread of the end of Daylight Saving Time. All the difficult clocks are now reflecting the time change, and I expect I will be finding a clock or two that needs changing for a week or two. I think I am one of the very few people that is unhappy with the changing of the time, and I think (I am not sure) that we do it one more time next spring, and that will be the end of it. One can hope. I got my walk in this morning, then a bunch of us hit four estate sales. I bought a few things that I was in desperate need of, so the next time you are at the house, just see if you can spot any of it. After estate sales, I messed with more clocks before heading to my 2 o'clock appointment in Taylor. After that, I went in to Austin, and got the car washed on the way home. Then dinner (not great) with Terry and Christy, and then a couple dips of ice cream. Now, for a little bit of television, and then I think it will be time to crash. Lyle Lovett and His Large Band are on Austin City Limits, so that is a good thing. Did I mention the lemons? I think the lemons may be ready to harvest pretty soon, and they certainly do take a bit to mature. Need lemons?