Volume 18 - Day 242/123, 2026 - Sunday

I left the hotel in San Antonio this morning at about 7:30, and I made it to the Curious House by about 9:30. I am surprised at how quickly I made it back to Georgetown, but I am not complaining. Just before 10 o'clock, I went and retrieved the girls and brought them back to the Curious House, and then Paulina, Val and I took off and went to four estate sales. These sales were definitely better than the sales in San Antonio yesterday. I bought a few things and actually took the things out of the Buzz that I bought last week. A couple weeks ago, I decided that the ledge of the rock wall behind the house would be a great place to begin a sculpture 'garden,' only without the garden part. I saw this top piece of a concrete fountain at one of the sales, and I thought Paulina wanted to buy it for herself, but she actually bought it for me. And so, the sculpture garden begins. I made it to HEB this afternoon, and picked up some groceries, and fed the girls. I have made sure that I know what I have on my schedule for the next couple weeks, so I feel like I am in control. It's interesting how uncoordinated I feel after just a couple days out of town. I wonder how I used to do it?

Volume 18 - Day 241/124, 2026 - Saturday

I stayed in bed longer today than I have in probably at least the last year. I did not have to get out of bed, so I didn't. When I did get up, I got ready and went to lunch with Holly and Gavin. After that, I met Philip and Vanessa to three estate sales. OMG, they were not really that good. There were a few things I picked up and looked at, but nothing is so overpriced as estate sale items in San Antonio! Then back to the hotel, we sat in the bar for a while, then up to the room to get ready for the installation ceremony. My friend Tony from Lubbock was installed tonight as the 2027 Chairman of Texas REALTORS®, and he is a great choice for that office. The photo accompanying this entry is of me and a bunch of friends and colleagues from Austin, and we had a really great time. I do not need to stay for the Board of Directors meeting tomorrow, so I expect I will be on the road headed north by about 8 or 8:30. That will get me back to the Curious House and the girls at a reasonable time in the morning, and it will be good to get back home. I may even look at estate sales and hit a few. We shalll see.

Volume 18 - Day 240/125, 2026 - Friday

There was a lot of day packed into this day. It started early, even though I did not walk, there was stuff to do. I had a doctors appointment at 10:20, and the doctors office is 40 miles from the Curious House. That was convenient in a way, the appointment was in far south Austin, and I am now in San Antonio. After getting my viscosupplementary shot, I took off for the Alamo City. I will be here a couple nights, for the Texas REALTORS® annual meeting. I got registered, and took a nap, and then headed off to a TREPAC reception on the Riverwalk. I enjoy visiting with all the friends and colleagues I have met over the years, and there is a certain amount of freedom knowing that I no longer have a job or a responsibility at these meetings. I like that freedom. While were were at that reception, there was a 'Imminent Threat Alert,' and it was kind of crazy outside. The alert also stated it was a 'dangerous and life-threatening' situation. It was indeed kind of crazy, but we got ourselves back to the hotel with no real issues, other than a little bit of rain to and from the shuttles. It was really kind of interesting. Back at the hotel, we sat in the bar for a while, and I called it a night so I could get this journal entry done before midnight. One of my obsessions. Tomorrow morning, I may hit a couple estate sales in San Antonio, just because I can, we shall see! I like this caricature kind of photo very much; Holly, Melinda, me and Nancy! Much fun!

Volume 18 - Day 239/126, 2026 - Thursday

My day was a cacophony of first world problems, and I am totally aware that I am lucky to be having first world problems. Yesterday, my knee was giving me REAL problems. It is better today, but still a problem. Tomorrow, I will get the second shot (of a total of 5 shots) that is supposed to (I think) put some gel in the knee to help with the 'bone-on-bone' challenge. Then, of course, there is the arthritis, so, what to do? I walked alone this morning, and I changed up the route again, just for a different view of the world. Once I got back to the Curious House, I did a load of laundry, and I experienced another issue with the washing machine. Instead of spinning the clothes dry, it drains the water, then fills up again, then drains, then fills up. I finally figured this out, and put sopping wet clothes in the dryer. I did that with about three loads in the dryer, and put jeans and shorts out on the back patio. The error code on the washer says that the drain line might be clogged up, so I will try and make sure that line is clear. But not today. By that time, it was time to leave for the blood bank, me, Paulina and Marian. Of course, we made a stop at Upper Crust. SO...my platelet donation went bad, the 'rinse back' went outside the vein, and beepers and buzzers would not quit. Whatever. The main problem is, I can't make a donation for 56 days, which would put me at the end of October. I think I will just take a rest until November. We shall see.

Volume 18 - Day 238/127, 2026 - Wednesday

Paul did not walk this morning, so I did an abbreviated walk. My knee is really giving me challenges today, and I have no idea if I did something to aggravate it, or if it is just deciding to decline on its' own. Whichever is the most accurate, I don't like it. I had nothing on my calendar today until early afternoon, so I took advantage of the time, and finished chopping up t-shirts to send to the quilt making company. In the past five or six days, I have shopped up 92 t-shirts and mailed them off. 64 to make a king size quilt and 24 to make a twin xl. The twin size will be my new blood bank quilt, because it gets really cold in there when you are donating platelets. Oh, and tomorrow is a platelet day, so I am looking forward to that! Tonight was our neighborhood dinner night, and we went to Encantada (formerly El Monumento) in Georgetown. It was a blast, I had a great time, and I think everyone did. I ordered chile rellenos, and it was delicious, and the portion was huge, so I brought about half of it home. So far, with Paulina's help, I have my airline reservations made, and hotel reservations made in Paris, Barcelona, Malaga and London. I have two train trips left to book, the ferry through the Straits of Gibraltar, and guides in Barcelona and Malaga. It is going to be fun, and I am looking forward to it!

 

Volume 18 - Day 237/128, 2026 - Tuesday

I was about two minutes late getting a photo of the sunset for this journal entry. The sunset that I wish I had photographed was extraordinarily beautiful, but sadly, by the time I got out with my phone, it was a little less extraordinary. Still lovely, but just a little bit less so. Paul, Bob, Rick and I met for our ROMEO breakfast, and it was lots of fun. Bob and I stopped at Galaxy Bakery on the way home, so I have scones for the next couple of days. I got a lot of things done in the Curious House office, and I stayed busy most of the day. I had a zoom meeting at 11, and the meeting lasted three minutes, which is the kind of zoom meeting I like! When Paulina came over after 5, we put the drops in the Piglet's eyes, and went to have Italian food at Frankie's. When we got home, we booked my flights to Spain and back, so it looks like I will be going to Spain in November. Over the next couple days, I will be booking hotels and train trips, down the Spanish coast to Malaga, a ferry from Malaga (I think) to Morocco, through the Straits of Gibraltar. OMG! But I am really happy to be going. After this trip, I still have airline credits from cancelling the trip to South Africa. Morocco will cross off one more continent, which leaves Australia and New Zealand, known from here on as Oceana. It's been a good day!

Volume 18 - Day 236/129, 2026 - Monday

The Piglet is getting a new name, the Six-Hundred-Dollar-Dog. Back to the vet we went this morning, to see what was causing the diarrhea challenge. So, there is the diarrhea, then there is an eye infection, an ear infection, possibly all caused by allergies. Whatever. Now, I have five NEW prescriptions that I have to administer to her twice a day. Paulina is coming over before she leaves for work (about 6:10AM) to hold her while I put the drops in her eyes, and she will repeat the process in the evenings. It is kind of a new experience for me as a dog dad, I have not really had a lot of experience with high-maintenance dogs, but hopefully everything will be better in ten days. I had two meetings in Austin this morning, one was a workshop to become a Volunteer Deputy Registrar. Now that I have qualified in Travis, Williamson County will reciprocate, and I can register voters in both counties. I had done the workshop a couple years ago, and this qualification will expire on December 31st, and then I will be able to take an on-line workshop to renew my Deputy status for another two years. Someone please remind me, thanks. I expect tomorrow to be kind of a calm day, I have an on-line meeting at 11, that will do it for the day.