Volume 18 - Day 160/205, 2026 - Tuesday

Today was a busy day for a Tuesday. Besides our early morning walk, I had two zoom meetings, an in person meeting and a couple errands to get done. The two zoom meetings were nicely spaced so there was an hour between the first one and the second one. I did get a couple errands completed before my three o'clock appointment, so that meant it was nap time. A couple times! Dick and Marge are heading back to Chicago (Buffalo Grove) for the summer, so we had a Bon Voyage dinner for them tonight. There were 23 of the neighbors attending, and it was great. The server in the restaurant was a little bit stretched, but otherwise, we had a great time talking and having a great time. I am pretty sure we are all happy to have such a great group of friends, and it shows every day!

Volume 18 - Day 159/206, 2026 - Monday

I did a couple of errands this morning before I went to pick up Marian, and we drove in to Austin for our platelet donation. Of course, it goes without saying that we stopped at Upper Crust Bakery on the way, just to pick up a few things to sustain us for the week coming. While we were standing in line, my friend Teresa came over, and there were hugs all around. Marian does not know much about that past life, but now she has a few bits of information. Teresa was my first broker when I got my real estate license, back in 1995. There has been a lot of water running under that bridge! Teresa was there with Omar, who I did not recognize at first. Omar and I are both on a committee at the Austin Board, so that was interesting to see him this morning. We made it to the blood bank, and we were in and out with no big issues, nothing exciting happening! There is a lot to be thankful for if there are 'no big issues' while we are donating platelets! While blood and platelets were flowing out of my arm, I was listening to the book we are reading this month for book club, Vera Wongs Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man). It is certainly an easy read (listen), and I don't need to think too much about it while I am listening! I got home and went down for a nap, which is also a good thing, and now I am done for the day. I do need to go and check the mail, but that will be it for me.

Volume 18 - Day 158/207, 2026 - Sunday

Up until about 6:30 this evening, I had nothing to eat today with any nutritional value. For breakfast, I had a scone. Not terrible. For lunch, I don't even remember what I had, but I know there were some M&Ms involved. Paulina and I went to see The Bird Cage this afternoon, it is hard to believe that the first time I saw it was 30 years ago. While we were doing estate sales yesterday, Marian said she and her daughter Lexi were going today. Val, Paulina and I watched La Cage aux Folles at the Curious House last week, so it was fitting that we go see The Bird Cage today. We saw Marian and Lexi, and after the movie, we did the selfie that is accompanying this journal entry. My resolution to boycott CBS has been tweaked a little bit. I will NOT watch ANY CBS news programming, but I will watch the shows I like on Thursday evenings, and I am watching the Tony Awards right now. Sue me. So far, the Tony's have been really good, but CBS had nothing to do with that. Whatever. When we got home this afternoon, I fed the girls and for dinner I had the chicken and rice that Paulina brought me at some point last week. Yummy good. Tomorrow is a platelet day, and it will be me and Marian, and that will be a good day.

Volume 18 - Day 157/208, 2026 - Saturday

Overnight we collected 1.57" of rain, and that is excellent. It was an estate sale day, me, Diane, Marian and Paulina. While were were stopped at a red light, the guy behind us said his foot slipped off the brake pedal, and he hit us in the back. The force seemed like more than a 'creep,' so maybe he uses both feet and when his left foot slipped off the brake, his right foot was on the accelerator. Who knows. There is not a lot of damage to the Buzz, but I expect the whole back piece under the tail gate will have to be replaced, and a little piece of the tailgate will have to be repaired/painted. I don't know dollar wise, but likely several thousand dollars. We (that means I) had not intended to call the Police, but one saw the incident and pulled in behind us. I have been watching TOO MANY YouTube videos lately, so when the officer got out, I immediately asked him if I was being detained, and that I knew my rights, particularly my first and fourth Amendment rights, so don't mess with me. He went along with it, the other guy and I exchanged information, and we went on to the sales. I am pretty sure we all bought something, in fact, I bought quite a few things, and it was a good day of estate sales, all things considered. Now I just need to get the stuff out of the Buzz and spread it around in the house! After the sales, I had one errand to run, and then Paulina and I drove to Temple to visit a friend's 'Treatery!' FroYo, macaroons, cupcakes, everything you need for a good a lunch! We brought stuff home, too. There is not a lot of chores on my list for tomorrow, but I am pretty sure I can do something to make it interesting.

Volume 18 - Day 156/209, 2026 - Friday

Today turned out to be a day for running errands and getting little things done. Paulina came over for coffee this morning, and then I went to the post office to mail a package, I stopped at a restaurant in Round Rock to make reservations, and then I was off to Austin to pick up one of my prescriptions. On the way home, I stopped at Inner Space Caverns, and inquired about doing fund raisers there, and maybe a dinner in the caverns. They wanted no part of that, even though the web site intimates that they do those kinds of things. Whatever, it is their loss. It has rained off and on a few times today, we had a nice, but rapid, downpour about four o'clock, and we have close to a quarter-inch since this morning. I went to dinner this afternoon with Jimmie and Linda, and that was fun, I have not seen them in about a week. I have had two deliveries of bird seed, one yesterday and one today. A total of 40 pounds of bird seed, that I do not remember ordering. Interesting. I think this photo was taken three or four years ago, not exactly sure, scuba diving in Playa or Tulum. It was great, not sure I will do more scuba diving. Maybe, maybe not.

Volume 18 - Day 155/210, 2026 - Thursday

I'm torn, although I really shouldn't be. I am enamored with clouds. The fluffy, really pretty ones. I don't care for overcast skies. The clouds that make the days grey and gloomy. Today was a grey and gloomy kind of day, and we even had a little bit (0.08") of rain, so no complaints about that. And the bad clouds gave way this afternoon to some pretty clouds, and I am happy about that. The girls went to the beautiful parlor this morning, and they absolutely hate that, and it exhausts them. They are back, and they have been asleep most of the afternoon. I have been taking them every three months, but this last time was too long, the girls looked a little bit like strays, so their next appointment is in two months. That will probably be too quickly, but we will figure it out. After I brought the girls home, I went to HEB and bought a few things, nothing to get excited about. I finished the book I was reading about Hitler, BLITZED - Drugs in the Third Reich. I really didn't care for the book too much, and I was aware of all the challenges he had with drugs, but I did not know of the extent that all (or most) of the victories were the result of speed and pain pills. SO, I will be on to my next book in a couple days, much more light reading, and book club is in a couple weeks. I will be going in to Austin tomorrow to pick up a prescription, and maybe I will find a couple other things to do while I am there... We shall see.

Volume 18 - Day 154/211, 2026 - Wednesday

I slept very nicely last night, and I was glad about that. My watch tells me that I slept OK, just ok, but I think I had a good nights sleep. Before bedtime, we had a surprise storm, mostly wind, some really good thunder and only 0.01" of rain. The wind blew a bunch of plants on the back patio over, and the terra cotta pot that the rubber tree was in broke into several pieces. Honestly, the wind was crazy, and it totally took me by surprise. The rubber tree is now inhabiting a brand new pot, so all is good. Paulina worked from home today, and she had never been to Dairy Queen before, and now she has! We both got a milk shake, and we were both happy with our choices. I have officially cancelled my trip to South Africa in September. I worried about it for several days, but with the health challenges in Africa (so far not where I would have been) and all the political crap going on everywhere, I just decided this was not the time to go. I still have time, I may be able to get somewhere before the end of the year, just not sure where. I expect I will make it to Playa a couple times at least, and I have a HUGE credit with American Airlines, since I had already booked my flights to Africa. Tomorrow I will take the girls to the beautiful, and I have signed up for another on-line class, so we will see if this one actually happens.