Day Two Hundred Sixty...

Is this order for here or to go? To go. What'll you have? I'd like one cup of hot & sour soup, six spicy rangoons, one Pad Thai and one Firebowl Fried Rice, please. Name? Bill. We'll call you when it's ready. While I waited, I was really thirsty, but there was nothing to drink that would be carried conveniently in the car (at least there was nothing I wanted to try carrying in the car). When they called my name, I stuffed several (maybe 10) fortune cookies in the bag, and kept another two in my hand to eat on the way home. My favorite fortune of all time (from a cookie) said 'Next time try the fish'. I loved that!

It was black as pitch at 7AM this morning (well almost) and that was really surprising to me. I don't remember it being THAT dark that late until this year, and that may be because we are living someplace where we can see out the windows. I think when you live in town, you do not pay that much attention to outside darkness and lightness (is that a word?). Work with me here!

We had a good property management meeting this morning, and then I worked on some things and took off for my Meals-on-Wheels route. That was a lot of fun, and I always look forward to it. I had five folks on my route this time (up from three the last time), and it was all good. Mr. Stan and Dennis at the distribution center are always fun to talk with, and as is David, the man that delivers the meals to the center where we do our pick-ups.

It has turned out to be kind of a cloudy day, and that kind of gives me the blues. I like the sunshine a lot more than the clouds, but I do appreciate the cooler temperatures. It was nice and cool last night, and we slept with the windows open for a while, but it was too humid for comfort, and I got up and shut the windows and turned on the air conditioner. We may try it again before too long. The leaves are falling outside my window at the office, and I am watching a grackle parading on the roof top at El Mercado. I do not think the leaves are dropping from the change of seasons, but more probably because the trees are stressed from not having enough water during the summer. We are still concerned that we will be cutting down about four trees at the house because there was NO WATER for them during the most brutal part of the year, heat wise. Everything just really baked this summer.

I will be leaving the office shortly, and trying to head home before the traffic gets too bad. I have been listening to Books on CD in the car (still not listening to ANY kind of talk radio), and I am about finished with 'The Heart is a Lonely Hunter'. Set in the 1920's and written in (I think) the 1940's or 50's, it is a really interesting book, and describes how life was (almost) a hundred years ago in the deep south. I thank my friends Michael and Lynda for suggesting the Books on CD, and I will soon have finished my second book. I have a queue of books lined up, and I am looking forward to broadening my horizons, literature wise.

I am going to stop at Firebowl tonight on the way home to get us a couple dinners to go. Pad Thai for Jody, and I am not sure what I will have just yet. I will let you know later what I have decided on. EDIT: See the opening paragraph.

Carrie and I are looking for new computers for our office, and we WILL NOT purchase Dell products. That makes me feel very badly to say that, but it is the principle of the thing. It is a long story, but we have been very unhappy with the customer service from Dell since we bought the last computers. Whenever we think we have one issue fixed, something else comes up. What a pain in the tookus that has been. Any ideas what we should look at? We probably need a PC based system, but we were kind of thinking we would go the lap top way, but many folks say we will not be happy with laptops in an office setting.

Getting home was a little bit of a chore...I did not leave the office as early as I had intended, but overall it was not too bad. I made it home well and safe, so that is the important thing. Life is good here, and it is a beautiful day. I am a lucky man, and happy to acknowledge that fact.

We must be really closing in on the Holiday Shopping Season...my PEOPLE MAGAZINE arrived today, and I always 'de-nude' it of all the stapled in advertisements and things, and there were no less than three of those advertisements in it that have the perfume and cologne samples stuck on them. STINKY! PEE-YEW! Makes my sinuses all close up. TMI!

I will be working on Saturday, and I have four men coming to the house to do lawn work. I also need to go into Taylor EARLY in the morning, because I need cattle feed, and other supplies. So, I will be there when the store opens so I can make it to my appointment in Austin at 11AM. No problems, I will survive. "More sturdy stands the bowing reed than doth the mighty oak."

Do a good deed, try to make our world a better place, and Have Fun!