Volume 18 - Day 173/192, 2026 - Monday

When Paul and I walked past the little pond in the subdivision, this heron was in the water. When I got on the sidewalk to take a picture, it flew up in to this tree, which was still a good setting for the photo. Thanks. I did a lot of busy work this morning, and ran errands. I watered the plants front and back and made a quick trip to HEB. I had a $100 Gift Card, which I spent and more. I also went to Georgetown Donuts (my favorite) and got a half dozen donuts. At noon, I picked up Marian and we headed in to Austin to donate platelets. I made two stops on the way; I picked up prescriptions and we made a stop at Upper Crust Bakery. I have cinnamon rolls for a couple breakfasts and two pieces of carrot cake. Interestingly, I have not consumed the cupcakes I bought yesterday at GOGO'S TREATERY, so I would say I am pretty well set with sweet things for at least the next ten days. Paulina met us at the blood bank, and we all donated platelets. Our next visit will be on July 6th, and we all like doing that. Tomorrow, I will not be walking, I have an 8:30 meeting at the Austin Board, and breakfast is provided, so all the bakery goods will stay in the refrigerator for a while. Good grief!

Volume 18 - Day 172/193, 2026 - Sunday

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there, and also Happy Summer Solstice day, the longest day of this year! I walked this morning with James and Paul, and then I did some grown up things in the office at the Curious House. Went through the mail for the last week, paid a few bills on-line, and sorted through some things. I went out into the garage this morning, and found a GFCI had tripped, and some of the stuff in the beer fridge freezer had thawed. Some of it was not totally thawed, and I put that in the refrigerator part. The items that were totally thawed will be put out in the trash on Thursday. Those things are still in the freezer, I don't want the garage to start stinking until Thursday. I still have not completely unpacked the carry-on, there is plenty of time to do that next week. I had a two o'clock appointment in FAR south Austin, and that drive was about forty miles each way. The client was a man I represented over twenty years ago when he bought his home, and it was nice to see him again. He told me I had not changed a bit, and that was a little bit concerning. After that appointment, I had dinner with Val, Paulina and Oliver at the Cheesecake Factory at the Arboretum, and now I am ready to be finished with this day. Tomorrow will be a platelets day, and I need to pick up prescriptions and maybe hit Upper Crust for cinnamon rolls. We shall see. Marian will ride with me, and we will meet Paulina at the blood bank, so the three of us are back in the groove. I may even do a little bit of grocery shopping tomorrow. Maybe.

Volume 18 - Day 171/194, 2026 - Saturday

I am back home again from my past week's escapades, and I am pretty sure the girls would like me to leave again so they can become more spoiled with Val, Paulina and Oliver. I got off the train in Temple so we could stop at GoGo's Treatery for FroYo, cupcakes and macaroons. All very yummy. I took a couple naps on the train, and I apparently slept through the stop in Cleburne, when I woke up, I was surprised to find that we were in McGregor. Whatever. I emptied 3.96" of rain from my gauge, and I will record that shortly. I have unpacked the necessities, and I will do the rest tomorrow, but for now, I am ready to go pile up in the big chair with the girls. I was happy to see this rainbow on the way home, that was a welcomed surprise, and for a while, there was a double rainbow, but it did not photograph very well.

Volume 18 - Day 170/195, 2026 - Friday

Happy JuneTeenth everybody! I was going to include the ussie of me and Richard for this entry, but I thought the contrast of the sad buildings and the St. Louis Arch in the background was more in keeping with why I ride trains here and there. Sadly, I am a little bit disappointed in this leg of my return home. The parts I am in control of are just fine, like looking out the window of my room and seeing the real country. The parts I cannot control are the alleged rudeness of the staff on this leg of the trip. Maybe it is just my imagination. In addition, my room is cold enough to hang meat, and the solution was 'there's a blanket up there.' Not good enough. Whatever. I just got back from dinner, salmon and red wine (I know), and now I am in the room for the night. We are in St. Louis, and I think this stop will be about a half hour. I am not sure where we will be when I wake up in the morning, but I am looking forward to getting home. I think I will be in Taylor about 6:30 or so tomorrow, not exactly sure. I think Paulina and Oliver are going to pick me up, and then we will have catfish for dinner in Taylor. I have work to get done over the weekend so Eileen won't be mad at me, and I have a listing appointment on Sunday. Life goes on! 

Volume 18 - Day 169/196, 2026 - Thursday

A lot of times, people do not really understand why I take the train home from conferences and meetings, and this is a perfect example. We are outside (on this side) of Martinsburg, somewhere, and we are on the other side of Point of Rocks, also somewhere. The train I am on stopped to let another train pass, and what better view could I have asked for? I just got back to my room after dinner, met a nice lady traveling with her husband and 10 month old child from Richmond, and that is what my idea of train travel is. I was in the First Class Lounge in DC for a few hours, and never once heard the baby cry. Fingers crossed. It was a fun day today, I went with Taylor, EIleen and Brandy to the Smithsonian Castle, and I have to admit that I was somewhat disappointed, very likely because I did not know what to expect there. I got back to the hotel, checked out, and headed for the train station. The train left two hours late, but again, I take the train because I am not in a hurry. I expect to get to Chicago tomorrow morning, change trains, and head for Austin tomorrow afternoon. I have space in the room if anyone wants to join me!

Volume 18 - Day 167/198, 2026 - Wednesday

Another day of good meetings, good information, and good friends. I acrtually stayed in bed until about 8:30 this morning, so there was nothing to be in a hurry to do, no really early meetings, and that was appreciated. Brandy, Holly and I went to the NAR building, and I am lucky to be able to do that every year. The rooftop of the building has a great view of the Capitol, and it is always a great place for photos. Needless to say, we all took advantage of it. We got back to the hotel a little bit before noon, and hung out in the bar for a while, and then I went to my room and took a nap. The last meeting of the day, our Regional Caucus, started at 4PM, and that is my last meeting of this trip. Steve, Melinda, Nancy and I went to Drunk Shakespeare at a small playhouse not far from the hotel, and most people in the audience thought it was hilarious, but I am apparently too old for that particular humor, which I think is interesting. I am usually all about inappropriate humor, but this just did not do it for me. Tomorrow, Eileen, Taylor and I are going to the Smithsonian Castle, and then I will head for Union Station to begin my journey home. I really enjoy train travel, and I expect to totally enjoy the trip home. The journal entry tomorrow will be from the train, en route from Washington, DC to Chicago, where I will change trains. Stay tuned.

Volume 18 - Day 167/198, 2026 - Tuesday

So, today was another busy day, and honestly, I cannot really remember all the things I did today. I do remember the highlights, though. Lunch at the Old Ebbitt Grill, and the quest for the best calamari continues. A nice nap was one of the highlights, and then there was a reception for PAC investors. More importantly, it was another opportunity to see friends and colleagues from here and there. This year is kind of odd, because there have been lots of issues getting to DC this year. My flight on Sunday was delayed, other flights were cancelled, and attendees are still arriving. One friend missed his connecting flight in Atlanta, and the airline DROVE him to the plane, and he boarded from the tarmac. Interesting. Tonight, a bunch of us had dinner at a Spanish restaurant not far from the White House. Again, everything is more difficult in DC than I remember from all the Legislative meetings I have attended. The photo accompanying this entry was taken yesterday at the trade show; Brandy, Holly, me and Eileen along with the mascots from the Washington baseball treams. I think.