Volume 18 - Day 284/81, 2026 - Sunday

To be honest, before this, I don't think I have ever bought mandarin oranges. I have always been a large navel orange kind of guy. The last several times I have bought oranges, they were less than adequate. Way less. So I bought these the last time I was at HEB, and they are good. Easy to peel, and kind of portion controlled. What could be better? Today was one of those days that I do lots of little things around the Curious House, and nothing anyone will even know I did because they were all little, inconsequential things. But I know I did them, and I am happy with that fact. It was a really nice day, and a nicer evening. We sat out on the front patio for a while, and now it is almost time to call it quits. Tomorrow will be interesting; it's a Holiday, but I don't think too many people will have the day off. I will report my findings later.

Volume 18 - Day 283/82, 2026 - Saturday

Today did turn out to be a busy day, but it was also an overall good day. There was the morning walk, showed a property for lease, did three estate sales, went to Temple/Belton to have frozen yogurt, cupcakes and a pecan pie, and then went in to Austin for dinner with my cousin Janet and her husband Lou. I had never met Lou, and that was nice. We had dinner at Hyde Park Bar & Grill, chicken fried steak, and I made it back home before it got too dark, and now I am finishing this journal entry before I call it a day. The photo with this entry is of the Wyandotte Main and Annex movie theaters that I spent many weekend days at when I was growing up in Michigan. I can vividly remember one day that I was supposed to go to see Dumbo, but there was a line and I have never been one to stand in a line. SO...I say North By Northwest, and I don't think I have ever seen Dumbo. I don't think I have lost anything of my childhood by not seeing it, either.

Volume 18 - Day 292/83, 2026 - Friday

Fake fall for this year is almost over, and the temperatures and humidity are both on the increase between now and this time next week. Maybe then, it will bring us the REAL fall, there is a cold (haha) front expected overnight next Thursday. Time will tell. Today was a good day, I stayed in bed a little bit longer than usual, but now that I am (kind of) really retired (for the most part), there is not that much I need to do in the early mornings. So, just take it as it comes. I did get all the plants watered after our walk, and I have turned the sprinklers back on, so I won't have that much to water in the morning. I did have an errand to run, so I headed in to Austin late morning, and got back home around 1PM. Before I left, I sent an email to to Christopher in Paris, letting him know of the two places I would like to visit during the short time I will be there, and can he arrange to take me. I could do both things (Versailles and Chateau de Lesigny) in the same day, or I could break it up into two days. I also have a couple pubs I would to visit while in Paris, but we will see...I may be trying to spread myself too thin. There are three estate sales tomorrow morning, and before that I am going to show James a lease property, and after that Paulina and I are going to Belton to have Frozen Yogurt and to pick up a pecan pie. Val and Paulina just want to 'test it out' to make sure they like it before they order more for Thanksgiving. Tomorrow evening, I will head back in to Austin to have dinner with my cousin Janet and her husband Lou. Tomorrow is turning out to be kind of a busy day! Oh, and the grapes were courtesy of Paulina.

Volume 18 - Day 281/24, 2026 - Thursday

I did not sleep well at all last night, I am hoping for a better nights sleep tonight. No reason, just sometimes I toss and turn. BUT...I did sleep later than usual, yet that was no real compensation. Once I got up, there were things to be done before meeting Paul for our walk, but everything worked out okay. After the walk, I decided this would be a good day to get my Covid Booster and my Flu shot. I have always taken the Moderna Covid vaccine, so I had to go to two different Walgreen's to get the Moderna. Not a bit of discomfort, and (fingers crossed) I have never had any negative reaction to vaccines. Once again, I did a few busy-work things around the Curious House, watered front and back, Tonight was my Civilian Police Academy class, the subject tonight was Criminal Investigations; Interviews and Interrogations. It was an interesting class, there are four more classes and then a graduation, which I won't be around for. But, so far, so good.

Volume 18 - Day 280/85, 2026 - Wednesday

Wonderfully, I got to sleep again last night with the windows open, and I am headed in the same direction tonight. I think it should be cool overnight, when I let the girls out this morning, it was 61 degrees. Perfect sleeping weather. I went in to Austin this morning for my monthly meeting, and I got home about 12:30. I did make one stop on the way, and then it was nap time. This morning, I watered plants in the front, and this afternoon was time for the plants in the back. I had a message a while back, when I was in San Antonio, from my cousin Janet. She and her husband Lou were planning to be in Austin for a couple days, and Janet and I got together tonight for a quick dinner in Georgetown. Lou had a business dinner (I think), but the plan is for me to go in to Austin Saturday night for dinner with the two of them. It has been more than three decades since we had seen each other, and it was nice, talking about which one of us had the most dysfunctional family. I think it was a tie! There is not a lot on my calendar tomorrow, until tomorrow night for my Civilian Police Academy class. Life is good, I am a lucky man.

Volume 18 - Day 279/86, 2026 - Tuesday

Overnights are lovely right now, and the days are not too terrible, either. I slept with the windows open last night, and I really like being able to do that. When I got up this morning and let the girls out, it was 63 degrees. Wonderful. I think the high temperature today was somewhere in the mid 80's, not too awful. Paul and Bob and I enjoyed our ROMEO breakfast, and then for much of the day, I did nothing. I wonder where I was supposed to be this afternoon at 3:40PM? If you had asked me, I was supposed to be at my doctors office (the GP), but when I got there, they knew nothing about it. Whatever, I guess that just appeared on my calendar by itself. Callie is doing better today, she is eating better, and that is good to know. We spent some time out on the back deck earlier, until the mosquitos found us, and we came back in. The photo accompanying this journal entry has no reason to be here, but I think it might have caught your attention.

Volume 18 - Day 278/87, 2026 - Monday

I did fill up my day with a lot of this-and-that after our walk this morning. When I let the girls out this morning, it was 68 degrees, and the high temperature today was in the mid-80s. Lovely. I called the vet, and I took Callie in at 8:30. She still did not eat anything. The vet ran all kinds of tests, they did some this-and-that, and I picked her up at 4:30. Now I have two different kinds of medicines to give her, and she actually did eat a little bit once I got her home. The photo accompanying this journal entry was sent to me by the vet, and you can believe it is likely the MOST EXPENSIVE photo that has ever been included in this journal. I pulled more of the weeds from the rocks this morning, so that area is weed free right now. I did a little real estate stuff, and did some more office stuff, and James helped me with some computer stuff, so, all-in-all, I feel good about the day!