2010 - Day Ninety...

Sometimes even I am surprised at where I find beautiful things lurking. This wonderful display of spring roses was photographed as I was sitting in the drive through line at What-A-Burger. They are absolutely exquisite! Well worth sharing with all of you.

At lunch today, I drove around in my car just listening to my book on CD. It has captured me, and I am on my last CD, so I should be finished with it while I am on my way to the airport to pick up our friend Mike. Also, as long as I was out, I stopped at the 'drug store' and got some Claritin. Here is the problem...we have entirely too many choices, and I could not figure out what I needed to purchase. I ended up calling my doctor's office, and Rene said the good doctor recommended Claritin, so that was good. TOO MANY CHOICES!

I still need to stop and get gas on the way to the airport, so I will need to leave the office in a few minutes. Last night Jody and I were sitting out by the pool, and there was this airplane circling around above us. So, enjoy this photo that is kind of abstract, but still decipherable is you squint real good and use your imagination. Go for it...

Okay, home now. An unusual thing happened, Southwest Airlines was actually late arriving; I do not think that happens very often, so it is no big deal, but it is just not an ordinary occurrence. Anyway, Mike is here, and he is getting settled in. On the way home from the airport, we needed to stop at Collector's Market and drop off some things that had been in the office. After that, we stopped at a guy's house in New Corn Hill. This guy (Vince) is really amazing...he does metal sculptures, and they are pretty darn incredible. It takes him a long time to do each piece, and he is very interesting and I really enjoyed looking at his work.

Jody is busy making dinner, and it looks like we are destined for another ZERO ENERGY CONSUMPTION day. So far we have purchased 4KWh from the grid, but we have returned 17KWh since I read the meters this morning. I don't want to get my hopes up, but that would be two days in a row of zero energy usage, and that would be pretty darn cool. I have received lots of positive comments about the wind turbines today, and even the guy that makes the metal sculptures asked if we were the ones with the turbines. Word gets around. Energy conservation is an interesting thing, and I am fascinated by it.

Time for dinner!

Deeds, Changes, Actions, CONSERVATION, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Eighty Nine...

Okay, a much better day was had by all. I am still in a little bit of a funk, but progress is being made. Tomorrow afternoon our friend Mike from Miami (okay, Del Ray Beach) will come and stay with us for about a week, and that is always an excellent occasion. Carrie and I went and purchased a conference table and eight chairs that was listed on CraigsList, and I must say we got a terrific bargain in that. It was originally bought for use in one of the models at the Nokonah Condominiums, the ground breaking condo complex in Austin. The Nokonah pretty much started the whole condo craze in Austin. I would expect that the table we are now using as a conference table (eight feet long) was a pretty pricey purchase back then, so we are delighted with our purchase.

On the way home, I stopped alongside the road about a mile from our house and took this photo of this field of wildflowers that kind of bloomed out overnight. They are really delicate little daisy like flowers, with three to six or seven blooms per stalk. Very pretty. Anytime I see a field of daisies or Sunflowers, I think about how they all look alike, but if you look closely, they are all very different. None of them are exactly alike. Fields of daisies like this also remind me of one of my most favorite films of all time 'Harold & Maude'. I have seen that movie at least a dozen times, and I never tire of it.

Things at the new office are coming together nicely, and I think we are all happy with the move, and it is going to be a very worthwhile effort on all of our parts. It is very good to see our agents (they used to office out of the 'annex') and it is just overall a better work environment. Here is a new twist...I have a new IP telephone at the house (can you tell from the photo which one is the regular home phone and which one is the IP phone on steroids?), and it is connected to the office via the Internet. I am just all amazed by technology...I can intercom folks in the office from home, so I can now REALLY work from home, and it will be just as if I am in the office. Making calls from home, and the folks I call will assume that I am calling from the office. That is what the read-out on the caller ID shows...company name and phone number. I am not 100% certain that it will work perfectly yet, since I am on a satellite Internet feed, but we shall see. Technology is making things better day by day, so I can not imagine what the next thing will be. AND this will be a great device for our agents that want to work out of their homes. No need for a second phone line just for business. The possibilities are endless.

Whatever...

Michael came and hauled away the hay that was baled after it had all dried out. Our cattle were not the least bit interested in it. We still have 14 bales of the good hay, so we are hoping to have a cutting before we run out. That should last us for about 3 and a half months, so we hope to get a cutting before then. I think Michael will be by later this week to apply weed killer and fertilizer, which is always a good thing. We cannot use the organic fertilizers here, it is just not effective. I know, I know...we do the best we can, but we cannot do everything. Some compromises have to be made. We make up for our shortcomings in other ways, and we can only do our best.

Okay, time for dinner. Jody will be calling me in a minute, so I need to anticipate that, and shut this down for tonight.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, HIGH TECH PHONE STUFF, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Eighty Eight...

I am certain there is a joke here somewhere, I just need to determine the punch line. This is what is left of one of the palms that I trimmed up yesterday. I think it looks pretty funny, and it looks like something that I just cannot put my finger on (or wouldn't want to if I could). So, there you have it.

My day has been full of ups-and-downs. I know the ups have been more plentiful than the downs, but I have a tendency to dwell on the downs. I think that may make me normal, only I am happy to admit it.

It will all pass in a day or two.

I had a good meeting at the Texas Real Estate Commission today, and I continue to be amazed at the complexity of the profession I have chosen. Interesting stuff.

Tomorrow my calendar is open, and it will most likely be filled with stuff before noon.

Okay, that is it for now.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Eighty Seven...

WELL...I must say...it has been an interesting day. I got up after sleeping late again this morning, and after I did all my ordinary chores, I decided to go and move the cattle to the other pasture. They did not hesitate at all, and they were ready for the greener grass on the other side. I had checked the status of the electric fence, and all was good (it did seem to be just a smidgen weaker than it had been) but nothing terrible. The cattle could have cared less about me, and as soon as I opened the gate to the fresh pasture, they were gone, so I had no issues moving the troughs, the molasses bucket and the salt licks. Then I decided to go and check the rest of the fences. At one corner (the furthest corner from the electrical source) I heard a clicking and thought that to be odd. Sure enough, there was a piece of insulator that was up against a piece of wire and it was arcing. Strangest thing I have ever seen. N moved it so it was not near the wire, and the clicking stopped, and the power of the fence went back up to where it had been. All was good. Just for kicks, I decided to ride the rest of the fence, and went back into the pasture where the cattle were. I was moving pretty fast in the Mule, and suddenly I thought I was Evil Knievel...I was air born. It was really quite an interesting sensation. I landed, and hit a few ruts, and before you could say 'Holy-Moly', I was stuck. I had hit some ruts (and the grass had grown up so I did not know there were ruts there), and was stuck. BUT, the cattle had been moved, and there was nothing really important that needed to be done at that minute, so I was in no hurry to get the tractor and pull the Mule out of its' misery. By the way, I call this photo 'Live Cattle and Dead Mule'.

So, I walked up to the house and made breakfast for me and Jody..Egg loaf...and it was very good. We always have enough to share with the dog, and he looks forward to all of our little rituals just like we do. Anyway, after breakfast, I went out and got the tractor and some chain and pulled the Mule out of the muck. To make a long story short (and possibly less boring, but maybe not), the Mule obviously has a belt drive on it, and sitting in the muck has got the belt wet (and the belt is located in a housing) and so you can give the Mule a LOT of GAS, and it is only going to go so fast. It should dry out in a day or two! We hope!

Jody and I went into Georgetown and took a road that I had never taken before (but Jody has) and we cam upon the Berry Creek Park and Preserve. A very nice small park, part of the Georgetown Parks System (I think) and there were folks out there having pic-nics. It was very nice, and it will be nice to explore someday when we have more time. We went on about our business, and pretty soon we came upon this motor home (or deck and patio, not sure how to describe it) along side a private tank not far from the park. Very creative if I do say so myself. It looks like those folks know how to have a good time!

We ended up at the Collector's Market, put a few items in the cases and here-and-there, and then we headed off to Dairy Queen for our spoiler. YUM. We then went on to Target and Home Depot for a few things (most of which we did not purchase) and then we headed home.

The Iris are really beginning to bloom out, so here is a photo of one of the yellow ones that is just coming out. Also, since today was Palm Sunday, I spent a lot of time this morning trimming three of the Palms in the back yard around the pool. Three of them really suffered from the extremely cold weather we had this year, and one looks like it was not the least bit phased. One of them that was pretty badly damaged still needs to be trimmed, but I am not sure how to go about it on that particular plant, so I am awaiting expert advice (cue Mikey).

There is also this plant (tree) by the road that we have no idea what the name of it is, Jody refers to it as the Orchid Tree, mainly because of the color of its' blooms. If anyone out there knows what this tree is called, let us know!

Today was another friend of ours birthday (Happy Birthday Gary!), so we met him for dinner tonight at the Catfish Parlor. It was great visiting with him, and we all had a nice visit, but to tell the truth, I was falling over from tiredness in the restaurant. I finally had to break up the party and make a break for it. I felt better after standing up and walking to the car. We needed to stop and put gas in my car, too, so it is now WAY PAST my bedtime.

Good Night John Boy!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, DEAD MULES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Eighty Six...

Well, I had an interesting start to my day. I got up late (almost 6 o'clock) and putzed around the house. I checked meters, logged results, got the newspaper, made coffee; all the usual stuff. Checking e-mails, I have a client coming in from Wisconsin on Tuesday to BUY a house THAT DAY. In/Out nobody gets hurt. It has been a pretty long time since I did one of those! Jody made pancakes for breakfast, and then I was off to my Beekeeping class. I got there as scheduled just at 9AM, and there was no one there. I made an indignant call to the instructor, thinking they could at least have called to let me know they were cancelling class, and decided to head home. I thought about going on into Austin, but I have already made appointments for the afternoon to show property, and it would be too much or a juggling act trying to re-coordinate everything. So, I just headed home.

On the way home, I stopped to take a photo of these lovely yuccas. There are about eight or ten of these plants close to the road in front of an abandoned house. These are particularly lovely plants, very robust and healthy looking, and the blooms are really exquisite. I may stop again one day to get a closer look...I am also wondering if there is any fragrance from the blooms. I will let you know.

Once I got home, Jody and I decided to unload a couple (that means four) boxes from the storage shed to take to the shop. We got all the boxes unloaded, straightened out the packing papers, broke down the boxes, and I decided, since Jody was not going to use his truck, that I would take all that into Austin's big recycling center. I had more boxes and more packing paper in the shed, so I got all that, PLUS the recycling I had forgotten to take into Austin last Tuesday, and piled it all in Jody's truck. The back end of his truck (a Hylander Hybrid) was FULL, but it is great to be shed of all of it, and to have done it the proper way! We are both very happy with the progress we made this morning.

I got into the office (by way of the recycling place and the What-A-Burger down the street) at about 1PM, which gave me plenty of time to get some things done before my clients showed up. I had a great time showing properties this afternoon, and there was one on the tour that the really liked. They may be close to making a decision, but there are some logistical challenges that need to be thought out before they jump off that cliff to making a purchase offer on a property. BUT, I think they are close, and they are great to work with. It will all happen when the time is right.

I got home, and read a little more of the morning paper. It will be time for the news pretty soon, and I will go see what is happening in the world, and most likely take a short nap. That is what usually happens when I sit down in front of the TV to watch the news...SNOOZE CITY!

Tomorrow is not a work day (in the real estate sense) but it will be a work day in the farm sense. I will move the cattle in the morning, and Miguel and his crew will be here around 8. Then Jody and I will go into Georgetown and put some stuff in the store, and then we will most likely have a spoiler at Dairy Queen. Then home for a nice afternoon. PERFECT!

Deeds, Changes, Kindnesses, YUCCAS, Actions, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Eighty Five...

I am happy to report that this was not really any indication of the way my day was going to go. I was up at about the usual time, and I headed off to Austin in the truck. I stopped in Georgetown at the parts place where I bought the windshield wiper blades on the way, assuming that any reputable auto parts store would be open for business at 6:30, BUT NO, this place was not scheduled to open until 7:30. SLACKERS! Don't people require parts early in the morning? I THINK SO! Especially the old pick up truck that was in front of me for a while on IH-35 without a single light of any kind alerting the rest of us that he was there on the highway. I thought at first that maybe his tail lights were just our, but when I passed him, he had not a headlight either...NOTHING. It is really dark at that time of day. I think if my license plate illuminator is cock-eyed, I will be pulled over and given a ticket...this guy is just going about his business in the dark.!

Spring is still in the process of figuring out that it is the season, and this is one of the first Iris blooms of the new season, and it is a PRETTY one at that! I still have not had a chance to get a good sniff of Texas Mountain Laurel, but I think next week will give me plenty of opportunity. Interestingly, the fact that we had to porch and patio roofs painted blue back in the winter made an affect on the swallows (barn swallows types) that had nests there when we bought the house, and the following year. So far this year, they have been swooping in/out and around, but no nests. I guess that old wives tale is really accurate. Of course, now that I have written this, I am sure someone will be brave and build a nest. We shall see.

I also stopped on the way home at this little garden spot in Georgetown and inquired about trees to be planted in the pastures. After it was all said and done, they wanted about $300 per tree to deliver and plant, and I am not sure that is the best price I will be able to find. I need to do some more looking.

Carrie and I went to Ikea this afternoon, and spent HOURS there looking for a conference table, some chairs, and a few other things, and basically admitted defeat and left. NOTHING PURCHASED! What is that about? There were items that we liked, but nothing that really jumped out at us...so, it will happen, it will just take us a little while longer. Part of the defeat admitting was enhanced because I feel two traffic jams per day is about my limit. It was getting late, and I had to drive back into Austin, and I did not want to get caught in that traffic, and then turn around and head back into it.

Tomorrow, I have another bee class, and then back into Austin to show property. I will show four properties, and then head back home. We will have help at the farm on Sunday, so there will be lots of things getting done on that day. AND, I am going to move the cattle into another pasture on Sunday, so that will be good...fresh green grass for them to munch on. YUMMY.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, TRAFFIC, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Eighty Four...

So far, it is a beautiful day in the central Texas neighborhood. A little bit chilly, but we will warm up soon and begin to complain about the weather, rant, rant, rant. I had an early morning closing, and I will be leaving the office shortly for my Meals-On-Wheels deliveries. Always a wonderful day when I get to see my 'peeps' and deliver them something to eat. AND, I get to commiserate with my 'old-mans club' compadres. I wonder what earth shattering issues we will solve this morning? The mind boggles! While I am delivering, I will also be on the lookout for wildflowers. There is a red bud tree outside my new office window that I think might be worthy of a photo, and I am also on the lookout for some accessible Texas Mountain Laurel, which I need to make a stop for and get a good sniff. I think they smell like grape bubble gum, one of my favorite smells in all the world.

So, Meals-On-Wheels was good, I actually got to my pick-up place late, but I was still the first one there, except for Mr. Stan our Meal-Manager. He had all my cold meals ready for me, and all I had to do was pick up my hot meals, and I was off. It was a great day, and it was nice to be our t in the wonderful outdoors.

I got back to the office, and got some work done, and then Carrie and I went off to do some shopping. We are still looking for a conference room table and chairs. We went to World Market (I think that is the name of the place) and then to Pier One, but everything looked TOO MUCH like dining room furniture (which it all was) so we did not get anything. WE DID go to Lowe's to buy some plants for the office; a palm for Carrie's office and the lobby, and small plants for most of the other desks in the separate offices. It is starting to look lived in and that is nice. I think everyone is happy with the move, and I think we are all glad to be under one roof again. Now we just need to get our old office space leased to someone pretty darn quickly, and that will be the end of it.

It was lovely to not be backed up with meetings and appointments all day. I actually had time to be calm and to be able to not rush around all day. That was really a pleasure, and it seems to be very luxurious. WONDERFUL! I am taking the truck into the office tomorrow, and we have two meetings tomorrow (one at 9 and one at 10) and then Carrie and I are going shopping again. I expect we will have a conference table and chairs before the end of the day tomorrow. WATCH OUT!

Speaking of trucks...I stopped on the way home this afternoon and bought new windshield wiper blades (the current ones have deteriorated badly) and I got home and tried to put them on the truck and I am defeated AGAIN! Incredible. Jody asked me if I had some hidden talents that he did not know about, and obviously I do not. I cannot even put replacement wiper blades on the truck. So, it is not supposed to rain in the near future, I am going to drive the truck in with only one wiper blade (I should have started with the passenger side, but I didn't) and on the way home tomorrow, I am going to the parts place and let them put the blades on. They offered to do it this afternoon, but I was not in the truck. I really think they just gave me the wrong replacement blades, but we shall see. I will give you a full report tomorrow.

Jody and I just finished watching a program about the Chevy Volt on TV. It was pretty interesting. All the Volts right now are being produced one-at-a-time (by hand) and it was about how they do all the work one-at-a-time. Very interesting. I hope they are successful, and I really want one.

That's it!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CONFERENCE TABLES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Eighty Three...

WELL...another busy day, I took the truck into the office this morning, and on the way in, I stopped at HEB to buy some non-perishable foods for the Food Bank (we are collecting foods at one of my committee meetings this afternoon) and then I stopped at my storage space to pick up an item for a friend of mine (Chad). Then it was to the office, and I managed to turn the alarms off without going deaf, and that was a good thing. I actually think the codes had been mis-programmed into the key pad, which caused the challenge I had, but that was yesterday, so that is hardly a memory.

I also picked up three new rugs for the new office, and on Friday I think we will get a new conference table and chairs, and that will just about finish everything. The only thing left will be a little bit more storage space (IKEA again) and thy 150" flat screen that is going in the conference room. Every time I mention that flat screen tv it gets bigger and bigger.

I had some nice conversations with one of my Seller clients today, and nice visit with a seller/buyer client (1 is closing tomorrow) and nice visits with lots of my REALTOR friends and colleagues. All-in-all it was a great day. I also had a couple of lovely comments from some good friends (Shirley and Bryan - HOWDY!), so that was a very nice surprise. I am always amazed to learn that people out there are reading these postings.

While I was stopped at a red light on the way to the Board of REALTORS I noticed this pretty little patch of bluebonnets with some little yellow flowers (flares). I do not know what the yellow ones are, but they are really pretty with the yellow. It has been cloudy and rainy all day and it still is, so this photo looks a little bit washed out. Sorry.

I heard from Michael that he went out and cut and baled what was left of the dead hay at the farm. That is a good thing, now (if it ever dries up) we can get it all fertilized and hopefully get two good cuttings of hay this year. That is really what I want, to get everything back on a normal schedule and be ready to cut and bale for the cattle. The cattle can easily go through a bale a week, so I need all I can get. I do not want to get rid of any cattle!

I have a late appointment this afternoon, going to show one house to a buyer/seller client couple. That will be fun! Since I have the truck, I hope we can go in their car! I am really happy with my most recent book on CD 'Nineteen Minutes'. I have finished only three CD's so far, but I am pretty much into it. Can't wait to keep listening.

Home now and finished with dinner. Still drizzling rain, traffic was not terrible but I am glad to be home. My appointment went very nicely, and I am really happy to be working with these folks. They are a really nice couple, and the talk easily with each other and each one gets their points across to the other. Very nice, very open good communication. Supposed to rain more this evening, I am planning call it a night! GOOD NIGHT JOHN BOY!

Deeds, Actions, Kindnesses, GOOD SHOWINGS, Changes, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Eighty Two...

It is spring time in Austin and central Texas, and that means wildflowers. We are just beginning to see the bluebonnets peaking up from the roadside berms where they have been patiently waiting for just the right mix of rain and sunshine. I am hearing that it should be a glorious season for wildflowers, and we all hope to make Lady Bird proud this year. I got several pounds of wildflower seeds to sow last fall, but it was too rainy to prepare the ground for planting, so I am not sure what to do. I need to call someone to see if I should wait until next fall or go ahead and plant the seeds now and hope for the best. Any ideas?

I am kind of bored with relaying my mundane work-a-day information bits, so I am going to hold off on that stuff for a while...at least until I do something interesting. On my way to a meeting this morning, I got a chance to stop by a 'tent-sale' that is going on in a parking lot off MoPac, and there are two rugs that will work in our new offices. SO, I will be taking the truck in to Austin tomorrow to pick up the rugs and take them back to the office. Then I may need to take the truck in again on Friday to perhaps find a conference table for the office, and that will complete our move. Not as terrible as it could have been.

Okay, this is kind of interesting...I made it to the office this morning, and I was the first person to try turning off the alarms in our new space. Well, the codes did not work...none of the codes worked...and I dealt with the alarms blasting for 40 minutes until Tom came in and he could get the entire system shut down. ADT kept calling and I kept giving them the passwords, and they kept wanting me to walk here and walk there and unscrew this and unscrew that...and it was just not working for me. I was not a cooperative patient, but we believe the issue has been resolved. I will be the first one in again tomorrow, but I may just sit in the parking lot until someone else arrives and let them turn off the system. It was not a happy set of circumstances.

I got home at a relatively decent time this afternoon, and traffic was not too terrible. I made a good number of phone calls on the way home, so that was a good use of the drive time. I finished my book on CD ('The Virgin Suicides', an interesting book but definitely not an upper) and started on the next book which is called 'Nineteen Minutes'. Pretty interesting so far. This is pretty much what every blurb about the book says: In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five.... In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it. In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge. I will let you know how it works out...it is 18 CD's, the most of any book I have listened to on CD so far.

Shrimp for dinner tonight, and hopefully an early night. I actually stayed in bed until after five o'clock this morning, I must have been extra tired. Tomorrow will be a good day, and Thursday and Friday even better. I will be at the Board tomorrow for meetings from about 11:30 until 2PM, and then back to the office. That will pretty much be the end of my 'outside' meetings for this week. AND, I need to take some non-perishable food to one of the meetings, we are making a donation to the Capital Area Food Bank. AND, showing a couple properties late in the afternoon! I AM A LUCKY GUY! I lead a charmed life, don't ever think I don't!

Well, shrimp was indeed what we HAD for dinner. I took a small detour and had dinner and cleaned up the kitchen, and now I am back. But not for long!

DONE!

Deeds, Kindnesses, Actions, Changes, BLUEBONNETS, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Eighty One...

Last night, we discovered that there is a lone-cookie person in the neighborhood. I really don't think you could consider this a neighborhood since there are only three houses within sight of each other. These cookies had the mark of Pauline all over them, and we did not find them until we were off to dinner. SO, I called her from the car to 'warn her' that there was someone going around leaving cookies on peoples porches. At first she thought I was serious about someone going around to the properties, but then I told her it was someone delivering cookies and she got a good laugh out of that. When we lived in the middle of the city, I very seldom can think of anyone leaving us cookies at our door. We love living in the country! I will tel you one thing though, the 'Neighborhood Watch' works a lot better here than it ever did in the city!

Off to work very early this morning, and got a good bit of stuff done before I headed off to the Board for a meeting from 11:30 til 4. It was the Board's annual Grievance and Professional Standards Training, and it was good to see all the REALTORS that are interested in doing the right thing. I know many of the folks that were in the room, and it is always nice to see all of them. It was also kind of a reunion, since it was the first time I had seen a couple of the REALTORS that had been on the cruise back during the first week of February. Very nice!

On my way home, I stopped and had my car serviced (95K miles), and took a look at the new Priuses. I wonder what the plural of a Prius is? OR, what is the possessive of a Prius? Whatever. Anyway, I cannot justify even thinking of a new Prius, I have one, it runs just fine, there is no real benefit to getting another one. I am, however, getting the itch, and Jody is ware of that! Give me strength to hold out for a Chevy Volt!

I got home and watched the last few minutes of the local news,and changed my clothes to go and check the electric fences. All was good, that is two days in a row, I am hoping for a new record! This bun-rabbit (see above) was playing statues out the front door, I was very surprised it held still while I went to get the camera and took the photo. I told Jody about it and it stayed for a long while. Usually they are very skittish, but this one obviously recognizes that we are not a threat. Okay, really, probably not. anyway, I was surprised to get the photo. This photo on the left is a far-off photo of a couple of the catte, they were all in the far back pasture, so I just wanted to take this to see how it would come out. From the furthest fence line you can see in this pictue, we have about another 15 acres, which we grow hay on for the cattle. Just FYI...

Another busy day tomorrow. Another meeting, this one begins at 1 and goes til 4, so I should get some more work done in the office in the morning. Meetings on Wednesday, showing property on Wednesday afternoon (late) and then Thursday and Friday should be somewhat more calm.

Can you say over-scheduled? When it rains it pours, and I will just work everything in. I am grateful to be busy!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, BUN-RABBITS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Eighty...

Last night, on my way home from dinner at the Filling Station, my car clicked over 95,000 miles. Most of those I have driven personally. I have never owned a car this long in my entire life. Is this what happens as we age? I am not so sure I like it. It is not in my nature to keep cars for extended periods. Hmmm. I am lusting for a Chevy Volt, and there was one on display during South by Southwest, but I did not even get a chance to go look at it. I am doing a pretty good job of keeping in touch with the goings-on of the Volt, and I am pretty confident that Chevrolet will have a decent car in that, BUT, in the newspaper yesterday, it was mentioned that Texas (and specifically Austin) was not on the 'short-list' of places that will receive deliveries of the car late this year. WAH! I guess I will wait until they are available, and then go get one. I have been on a waiting list for over a year for the car. I can wait another year I guess. Maybe someone else is developing something that will hit the market (first, better, cheaper). It could happen.

Jody and I left the house this morning to go finish moving our stuff at Collector's Market. We got there about 10 o'clock, and Kevin and Debbie helped us get the last of everything moved. NOW we need to unpack more stuff to fill in the cases that are looking pretty darn bare. But, we are done pretty much for this weekend. Jody is taking a nap right now, and I may take one in a little while. This is a photo of the new space, looking a little bit dis-sheveled, but it will all work out. It is a bigger space than the one we had, but we have more stuff in this space, and still need to put more stuff in it. We shall see.

After we left the market, we (of course) went to Dairy Queen, which made everything better. I am listening to another book on CD, about half way done. It is called 'The Virgin Suicides' and is supposed to be a 'dark comedy' but I must not have gotten to the funny bits yet. It is about a family with five girls, and they all commit suicide within a year or so. Maybe I am just not 'hip' enough to find the humor. It took a while for me to get interested in it, but I am not involved with it, and ready to proceed. My next book on CD is called 'Nineteen Minutes' and it is contained on 18 CD's. Without a doubt it is the longest book on CD I have listened to, I will let you know how it goes.

OKAY, I SAW HER PEE! I actually saw her pee earlier this week, but I really could not tell exactly where the discharge was coming from, BUT TODAY I saw her pee, and can tell you without a doubt, the newest calf is a girl. SO, we have a new heifer calf, and she is three weeks old today. When we got home from Dairy Queen, I went out to feed the cattle. They were in the back pasture, and it took them a while to figure out how to get where I was putting out the feed. Once they found the hole in the fence, however, it was 'Katie, Bar The Door'. Here they all came, all accounted for and all ready for the sweet feed I put out for them.

The electric fence was shorted out somewhere, too, so I drove the fence all around and found a couple places where it might have been shorted out, and it is now hot again. Electric fences are always kind of a challenge, and it is just a matter of figuring out where the short is, and correcting it. Even though we have much more land (and that means more fence) here, it is much easier to keep up than it was at the other farm in Red Rock. Speaking of Red Rock, we have that place on the sales market, so if you know anyone wanting 10 acres with a 2 bedroom house, just let me know. FOR YOU, WE CAN MAKE A DEAL!

It is really windy today, and the turbines are just a spinning and making power blade-over-blade. I love hearing the turbines spin, and it such a nice and comforting white noise. I think we are pretty much in for the rest of the day. We may venture off into Taylor in a little while, but nothing really planned. This will (I hope) be a much more calm week than the last one. FOR SURE there are no more moves planned for the immediate future. There can only be so many moves in one month.

COMPLETE!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, HEIFER CALVES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Seventy Nine...

The first day of Spring, and overnight tonight there is a possibility of a freeze in the Hill Country. It is still dark as I begin this entry, and the rain began just about five minutes ago. I guess that means the front is here. It was kind of temperate when I went out to get the newspaper and check the meters. Now it is raining, blustery, thundering and lightning. The dog will not go outside (both for fear of getting wet, and he is afraid of lightning and thunder). He will cling to Jody until this racket ceases. I on the other hand, will get up from here in just a few minutes and make the beds, fix some breakfast and head of into Austin for my appointment. The rains are supposed to stop by early evening, and the forecast calls for about 3/4" of rain before it is all over. Woe is the South by Southwest festival...all those wet guitars and things. All that torn-up sod that was just replaced AGAIN. All those smelly, great un-washed. All those damp doobies (really difficult to light). All that Humanity. ALL THAT JAZZ!

When I left for the office this morning, there was about 3/4 of an inch of rain in the gauge, and it is now about twenty-minutes-past-five and there was a little bit more rain after I left. Not bad for about three hours of rain. Most of the day, every temperature reading I could find said 43 degrees...most recently I saw one that said 41 degrees. The latest weather report I heard was for a low temperature tonight of 34 degrees. That means we may actually have a hard freeze tonight...maybe down to about 28 in this part of Texas. CRAZY!

I had a nice appointment with my buyer clients this morning, and then I headed home. I met Jody at the Collector's Market in Georgetown, and we got about 75% of the stuff moved from our old space to the new space. Tomorrow (early) we will go into Georgetown and empty the two lighted display cases and move them, and then try to put everything back together. Hopefully, we will not be doing this for more that about four hours tomorrow.

We then went on errands which included Home Depot, Target, Office Depot and the Ace Hardware store (which was closed). But we should be in good shape for tomorrow. Oh, and how can I forget this, we also stopped at the Dairy Queen for our weekly spoiler, so that was good.

Last night Jody sort of tried to taunt me about something that was for sale on CR 1105, so this morning I drove that way when I was going into town. He knows I have a weak spot for all things rusty, and thee is a '49 Chevy parked in a guys driveway for sale. COVERED IN RUST, TOO! This afternoon on the way home, I stopped to take a closer look at it. It is really a nice looking old car, needs a lot of work, including a motor and transmission and full interior, but it looks cool. AND, it can be yours for only $1,800. CRAZY!

We are heading out to the Filling Station for dinner tonight. I think I will be having bar-b-que ribs for a couple reasons...I want ribs and I can bring the bones home to the dog. It is all about the dog!

DONE.

Deeds, Actions, Kindnesses, Changes, RUSTY STUFF, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Seventy Eight...

DONE! Okay, not this entry, but the office move has been completed, and now it is pretty much nothing left to do but find where everything is and get ourselves back into a rhythm of working. Incredibly, everything went off as planned, the only thing that did not happen was the ADT guy did not show up,but they called (after 5PM) and said they would be there on Monday afternoon. Here is what happened today: First, I got into the office about 7:30...did some work, paced around a while, and did some more work. Nervous Anxiety. Then I headed to the Board of REALTORS for a meeting at 9:30, which lasted until somewhere between 10:30 and 11. Then back to the office. Time Warner Cable was supposed to be there between 2 and 5, and he showed up at 10:30 (followed by another guy to help him at about 1 o'clock). Our telephone guy showed up; our IT guy showed up, two movers showed up; 1 guy showed up to move our Copier/Printer/FAX machine (allegedly if we moved it ourselves it would void the warranty); two guys showed up to deliver two file cabinets. OH, LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT THE PIZZA GUY! He showed up too. I think that is it. Pretty much a ballet of confusion and decision all wrapped up in one good little package!

I think it is incredible that, at the end of the day, our telephones work, the fax machine works, our computers are up and running, and we can access the Internet and check our e-mails. All is good. Our phone lines were down for about 4 to 5 hours which is CAPITAL A-AWFUL, but there was nothing I could do about that. We were supposed to be down for about 15 minutes...but it is all over with now, and I will be in bed shortly.

I left the office about 6:30, and I am very happy with the move. It is wonderful that we will all be under one roof, and I think the move will make us all less stressed and happier. Our offices now have a much more industrial look than the understated classic look we had before. But, we are on the second floor, kind of at tree level, so that is lovely, AND we had a wonderful breeze blowing through the offices today, it was super sweet! My personal office is about half the size of my former office, but I chose that office based on the fact that I have been cultivating interests that take me out of the office more frequently, and I am not planning my life around sitting at my desk anymore. SO, I am perfectly happy with the new situation, and it is a wonderful place to be in. I am the luckiest man in the world! Thank you very much.

Jody had bratwurst and twice-baked potatoes ready when I got home, and it was a delicious dinner. I will be heading back into town tomorrow, I have a 10:30 appointment with some wonderful clients. Then it will be back home, and probably pick Jody up so we can go to Georgetown to move our Collector's Market goods to another space in the store. Maybe next week I will get a rest, MAYBE.

It is supposed to rain tonight, and a cold front is coming in. GET THIS...the low tomorrow night is expected to be (last time I heard) about 38 degrees and there is a possibility of a freeze in the Hill Country. I would not be surprised if we got a light freeze out here, as crazy as that seems. It has been pretty nice weather here the past week, but the clouds that you see in this photo seem to be a sneak-peek at things to come.

FINITO!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CHANGES!, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Seventy Seven...

The city is full of freaks! Most of them are carrying guitars as well. Everywhere you look there is another guitar-wielding someone in town for South by Southwest. There is not enough room in a thousand airline luggage racks to accommodate the influx of acoustic stringed devices (and not so acoustic) that have entered the area in the last week. It is crazy. Okay, so the photo of this young woman probably does not qualify as a freak, but this is a family blog, and I wanted to keep to content rated G-General Audiences.

So far, this has been a really calm day. It is a beautiful day outside, and so far there has been no trauma or hysteria in my world. BUT, the day is still young, and there is plenty of time. I got into the office really early (that is what happens when you wake up at 4AM) but I get a lot of work done during those quiet hours.

We had our PM meeting at the usual time and all that information sharing was good. This was the second PM meeting for our new office assistant Karlan, and she is doing a really good job, and is acclimating to her new position really well. After the meeting, I moved a few more boxes up to the new office, and then got involved with more information coming from and getting out to all the people involved to make our move tomorrow seamless.

And then it was time for me to deliver my Meals-On-Wheels route. The delivery guy (David) was running late this morning, so as usual Mr. Stan and Dennis and I sat around and solved the problems of the world. We were joined by two other gentlemen, one named Richard and I can't remember the other mans name. He was filling in for his wife. Richard is an interesting person, and he was full of jokes, the one I remember is "The upside to Alzheimer's is you get to meet new people every day!" I wonder if I will remember that? I had seven clients to deliver to today, one of them is a new client. Unfortunately, one of my long-term clients passed away since my last delivery date, and that is a sad reality. It is incredible how attached you can get to these clients, and after a long term relationship with these folks, they actually do become a part of your family.

When I returned to the office, I had a meeting with ADT in order to transfer our alarm service to the new office. Nothing is easy these days, everything is difficult and everything costs double. Batteries do not last as long as they used to, and automobiles are very complicated. I actually enjoy being a curmudgeon, but I am supposed to be the only curmudgeon. BAH!

I think we are going out to dinner tonight, I think we are going to Applebee's for their $5 Burger promotion. YUM! Traffic (it has been reported to me) is TERRIBLE, and much of that is attributed to the FREAKS in the city (see the first paragraph). Anyway, I have made it home, and we decided not to go to Applebee's, instead we went to Dale's Essenhaus where the Walburger and Fries were terrific. The place was packed, too. We have never seen it that crowded. BUT, the servers had everything under control, and it all turned out just fine!

FINISHED!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, FREAKS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Seventy Six...

And so it begins. I have begun dismantling my office in preparation of the move from one office suite to another office suite one floor up. I think that combining our office spaces from one suite to a single combined suite will be a good thing for all of us, and it will help us all better understand all the things that are going on in our office. What fun! So this photo is the beginning of the dismantling process. My office seems to be like the 'clown-car' of offices. I keep taking furniture out of it, but it seems that I am not making any head-way towards emptying the place out. AND, I am not even trying to take everything...my new office (my own space) is MUCH SMALLER than my current office. We shall see.

By about Noon:45 I was really hungry, so Carrie and I walked across the street for some lunch. I had a Frito Weenie Chili Pie and I have to tell you, it was not that great. Coupled with the fact that the 'trailer park' concept of food service is populated with employees that are 'really musicians' and arrogant on top of that. I was the only person in the line for this particular trailer, but the TWO employees were too busy 'talking amongst themselves' to notice that I had CASH, and would like to make a purchase. ANYWAY, it is South by Southwest time in Austin, and when this is all over, maybe we can get a decent fast-food meal again.

NOW, I have gotten most of the stuff in my own office moved in...the cable, data and phone lines are scheduled to be moved on Friday, and that means that, bu about this time next week, we should be somewhat settled in and going on about our business. I like moving, but I am not getting any younger! I have meetings at the Board on Friday morning, and then I need to come here to help coordinate all the other people that will be in the offices. Then, I have two appointments on Saturday, and Jody and I are supposed to move to a larger space in our antiques market on Sunday. Things will be just a little bit chaotic for a while! LIFE IS GOOD, I AM A VERY LUCKY MAN!

Traffic on the way home this afternoon was pretty much of a bear. I did not see any reasons for the many challenges, bu challenges there were. It took a long time to get home. I made a stop in Georgetown (at the Dollar General) to pick up some stuff I need at the office, and then it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. I did not see the skunks this morning, so I guess that was just a happy coincidence earlier this week. I hope to see them again soon, and they should know they are not in harms way when I see them.

Jody is making baked potatoes for dinner tonight, and that will be a happy change from my unsatisfactory (and heartburn and indigestion inducing) lunch this afternoon. Tomorrow I have a meeting in the morning, it is my Meas-on-Wheel delivery day, and I have a conference call in the afternoon. Appointments also with the security alarm people to get the new system connected, and I will continue to try contacting the Time-Warner Customer Service Specialist in San Antonio who does not seem to want to talk with me. I have left her messages since Tuesday, I just need to clarify one small point on our service move. Whatever.

Done!

Deeds, Actions, Kindnesses, Changes, POTATOES, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Seventy Five...

For the second day in a row, I have encountered a pair of beady little eyes in the darkness of County Road 322 on my way to work. Just a few minutes from the house, there they are...yesterday, I recognized them as little 'skunk eyes' and the little skunk body ran off into the ditch and let me pass. This morning, the little skunk body decided it wanted to run along the road, and I rode behind it for several feet before it decided discretion was the better part of valor, and moved off the road and back into the ditch. I can hardly wait to see what tomorrow brings. If you are a long time reader of this blog, you might remember that we have rescued skunks out of the pool on one occasion when we first moved into the house. That little guy had treaded water for no telling how long, and he/she was pretty exhausted. He laid on the pool deck for a while (hours) and finally moved under the gazebo with a little bit of coaxing, but so far I have not aggravated the skunks enough to have them spray. HOWEVER, you can definitely smell the spray frequently in the country. 'I just love the smell of skunk spray early in the morning!'

Today was the NARPM luncheon, and I thought I would never say this, but I did not care much for the Chicken Pot Pie that was one of the entree choices. It was kind of like creme of chicken soup with a flaky pastry shell topping. Nothing of real substance, so I do not recommend it. Now the salad (I made myself) was pretty good, it was the first time I have had Thousand Island Dressing in a long time, but I have been having a craving. AND, how can you go wrong with Chocolate Pie? Can you go wrong with Chocolate Pie? I don't think so! In this case, I may actually be confusing quality with quantity. Who knows, who cares?

We did get word this afternoon that Time-Warner will make the move of all our phone lines, Internet connections and cable-tv lines on Friday afternoon. That has given us the go-ahead to confirm the schedules with the movers, the other telephone vendors and our IT guy. So, Friday and Saturday will be somewhat chaotic, but it will all get done, and next week will be just a little bit crazy. Probably no more crazy that any other week, but crazy none the less. In case you are wondering, we are just moving one floor up in the same building, so we will all still be close enough that it won't be that traumatic!

More rain. Rain, rain, rain. I am tired of the rain and the grey. This morning, I emptied about 4/10" out of the gauge, and this afternoon when I drove past the gauge, there was another 3/4" in the gauge. Good for some things, but not good for trying to plow the fields and plant. Or for baling up the dead hay that is in the fields because we could not get it baled last year because the fields were too wet. I do not want to sound like an ingrate, but I am about to start whining. Can we have a little bit of sunshine, long enough to get into the fields and do a little bit of maintenance? Then I would like rain...thank you very much.

Traffic was not terrible on the way home, but things like the ambulance passing on the shoulder is good to get you to pay attention. That is the photo above, and then the last photo is, well, you know...I just cannot resist taking photos through the rainy windshield. I love that effect. Sue me!

Pretty much an open day tomorrow, although I have plenty of things on mu schedule to get completed. It will be a good day, I am certain of that. Had a nice snooze last night, looking forward to more of the same. Thanks for those of you who commented on my lack of sleep, I appreciate it.

Oh, and I have a few opinions on the health care debate that is going on. I do not want to go off on a rant, but if you are interested, just ask.

COMPLETE!

Deeds, Actions, Kindnesses, RAIN, Changes, Whirled Peas, FUN.

2010 - Day Seventy Four...

It is a very nice day again in central Texas, but I have to admit, it is not as nice as yesterday. It is a bit cloudier, and not as warm. I got NO SLEEP last night...I was tired, but could not sleep. I kept looking at the clock and trying to figure out what time it REALLY was. I finally got up at 4AM (really 3AM) and left the house at 6AM (really 5AM) and, well, you get the picture... ANYWAY...this is a photo of Jody and the Big Dog as we were sitting out on the porch last night. The photo was taken at about 7:20, and as you can see, it was still plenty bright outside. Daylight savings time and the fact that it was a clear beautiful day make for sudden-out-of-synchness-in-the-body-clock-department. Anyway, as you can see from the photograph below, this is how Jody really feels about having his photo taken. Everyone that tries to take his picture says 'SMILE' and his reply is 'I AM SMILING'. He just does not like having his photo taken, and he has been in a relationship for almost 18 years with someone who takes pictures all the time. Whatever!

So far, I have been getting a lot of work done in the office and that is a good thing. At some point I will need to go and get something for lunch. FOOD! And, there are still lots of things to get completed in the 'moving-the-office-department'. More about that as the week goes along.

The day continued with accomplishments large and small. I left the office around 4 o'clock, and traffic was a little more congested than I had expected, what with some of the schools on Spring Break and all. I guess I had not taken into consideration that, for every person that is on Spring Break, there are probably three or four in town for South By Southwest. Not really that good of a trade-off.

When I got home, Jody reported that a young female cardinal had decided to consider building a nest outside the window in one of the guest bedrooms. It is not happy with its' own reflection, and continually is pecking at the window, trying to discourage that 'other bird' from being so close. So, I went out and put newspapers on the window so it would not see its' own reflection, and hopefully that will end the issue. If not, then good luck with that Joe and Carolyn. AND, the newspapers taped to the window make the place look even that more country. Next I think we need to put a Barcalounger out on the front porch, more for the effect than anything else. Comments?

We are having stuffed salmon for dinner, with more of the asparagus cut from the bed outside the garage. YUM! I am going to do my best to sleep tonight, even if I have to induce it on my own. Better living through chemistry!

Done!

Deeds, Kindnesses, Actions, Changes, CARDINALS, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Seventy Three...

If you are interested in mud wrestling, come on down! Yesterday was a really pretty day, but work and life interfered with my plans for a 'do-nothing' day. BUT, today went pretty much as planned. I got up (I have no idea what time I got up, I am still confused with the time change) but it was dark, and I went out to fetch the paper, and came back and had most of it read and my coffee consumed before Jody got up. Before 8 o'clock (new time) Miguel was here with his crew, and I was dispatched to get gasoline for all the empty gas cans strewn from pillar to post around the place. As long as I was in Bartlett, I decided I might as well try the new donut shop that we heard had opened. I picked up two croissants filled with eggs, cheese, bacon and sausage. They were delicious. I also got us two apple fritters. I saved MY fritter until about 2:30 (in lieu of lunch) and it was very good, not really greasy, not overwhelmingly sweet. Happily it was MUCH BETTER than the last fritter I purchased (over a year ago) in Taylor. I hope this place will make a go of it.

ANYWAY, Miguel and his crew got a good bit of work done, and the place looks a lot better. It is crazy how out of control it had gotten. It has been probably three months since anything had been done. Whenever the yard and grounds start getting out of control, I have flashback on 'Grey Gardens'. This place could easily be covered up be vegetation, it probably would not take more than a year or two for the whole place to disappear under the vines.

I shredded tall grass on about three acres or so on the side of the house, and that took a long time, even with the tractor. Of course, I had to take time out to socialize a little bit with Hubert and Michael, and then took a little time out to socialize with Randy. Pauline gave us a jar of jelly or preserves (not sure, it really won't matter when we are eating it). I had called her to see if Michael and Hubert were around (I was having tractor issues) and asked her what she was doing; she said she was making yo-yos for the church. ANYWAY, Michael and Hubert had been in Holland buying fertilizer, and when they got back, I took the tractor over there, I could not get the drive shaft to turn for the shredder. Operator error, I am a dumb-ass. Whatever, anyway, we got to talking about the electric fence, and they came over later and we FINALLY have the fence electrified, so I let the cattle loose to graze in the back pasture. I hope they will be content for a little while. Jody and I went back there to feed the cattle and one of the new calves was confused and could not get to its' mama, so we herded the calf into the front pasture where all the cattle had gone, and in doing so got the Mule stuck in the mud. Had to push the mule out of the mud with the tractor. SO far, the tractor is the only thing at the place that I have not been able to get stuck in the mud. Stay tuned.

We are beginning to have spring blossoms. The top photo is what Jody calls 'Dutchman's Britches'. They look like little bells and they are really pretty. Then we have two Iris blooming (hold on to your seats...when they all start blooming there will be lots of photos), and the peach tree is blooming; we are all surprised that it made the summer. We think we lost about three trees in the drought last year, and we won't know for sure for another couple of weeks.

The consensus about the newest calf is still questionable. I still think it is a heifer, Miguel thinks it is a bull calf. Michael thought it was a bull calf, then a heifer. Hubert thinks it is a heifer. I still have not see it pee, so I have no clue what it is. More news on that front (or back or bottom or whatever) as it is made available.

Done!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, WEEDS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Seventy Two...

Truly a magnificent day in central Texas. I slept in extra late this morning, and had a relaxing morning of reading the paper and doing as little as I possibly could. Jody and I headed out to IKEA at about 9:30, and we were back in Georgetown at the Dairy Queen at about 11:30. So much for lunch! We made it home, I became presentable, and we headed off into Austin so I could show one property to a buyer client. Then it was back towards home, after a side trip in Georgetown to the HEB, Tractor Supply and Chipotle for dinner. A good day, all things considered. It may not sound like there was very much accomplished, but you would have to know the 'back story' and that is my little secret!

This is a photo of, most likely, a wild plum that was blossoming near the house I was showing. It had the absolute sweetest fragrance, and there were several of them all in a row blooming. Quite lovely. Notice the bee at the top almost center of the photo. I saw my first blue bonnets of the season yesterday, and we saw a few more this afternoon not far from the house. It should be a really good year for wild flowers, but you never know. Jody remarked about how much further along the trees are budding in Austin than they are her in the country, but I can only assume it is because the city is so much warmer than it is here. That is my story and I'm sticking to it.

We will be all a-buzz with activity tomorrow. Miguel is going to come out and work the property with a bunch of his guys. Today was the first day I had actually seen how tall the grass is. I am usually out there in the dark, and don't pay that much attention to it. Jody said he noticed it the other day because the dog was out, and the grass was up to his stomach. Yeah, it needs to be cut!

End of story!

Deeds, Kindnesses, Actions, TALL GRASS, Changes, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Seventy One...

Still tired. It was a day of ups and downs, but I think everything will be cleared up in a couple of weeks. Not enough time in the day, too many conflicts, too many people in the world that do not know Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings. Hell, there are too many people in the world that have never even HEARD of the band called Wings. Too many people!

I do not know about you, but this does not look anything like the picture of the FISH MEAL at the drive-thru at What-A-Burger. This is really, REALLY processed fish food...AT ITS' WORST. It smelled like fish, but it really did not taste like fish. That in itself makes me a little suspicious...coupled with the fact that the 'tartar sauce product' had kind of congealed in its' little container. AND I HAD TO 'PULL UP PLEASE' and we will bring you your order when we darn well feel like it. I hate having to wait for fast food. Hmmm...it kind of sounds like I am in a bad mood doesn't it? Well, I'm really not, I think I am just tired. See the paragraph above!

Traffic was a bit of a challenge coming home tonight. I was very proud of myself, and left the office about 3:30. I had to go put flyers in a box at one of my listings, and then I had to go through the drive-thru (do you see a recurring theme here?) at the bank. Anyway, two hours later, I finally got home. Stop-and-go traffic is good for taking photos of interesting things you see while behind the wheel, like this cute little window sticker on a cute little VW Bug that was in front of me. AND, since I am becoming a bee hobbyist, I thought it was worthy of a photo.

When I got home, I told Jody I wanted to walk back to the pasture and check on the cattle, and he decided to go along with me. All is well on the cattle front, still have not seen the newest calf pee yet, so I am still not 100% sure it the gender, but I really am leaning towards it being a little heifer calf. Time will tell. AND I actually think Violet is pregnant. Violet was our first born from the farm in Red Rock, and her bag is looking kind of big, and her teats are kind of big, and they have that 'waxy-build-up' on them. A sure sign that something is about to happen. Can you believe this kind of talk is coming out of my typing digits? Sometimes I can't either, but I love the country life.

Among other things, Jody's dinner tonight included fresh asparagus...chopped down right outside the garage. Not too bad for the middle of March.

Tomorrow, it will be a calm, slow day I hope. Jody and I are going to drive down to IKEA (I think) to take a look at the office furniture they have available. We usually got all of our office furniture at EURWAY, but it seems that IKEA put them out of business. That's progress for you.

Deeds, Kindnesses, Changes, COW TEATS, Actions, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Seventy...

Short post today, I am really tired. Today was another good day of classroom teaching, but it was the fourth day for the participants, and they were ready to be out of there. It was a quiet, tasteful class today, and yesterdays class had a good bit more participation. Other than that, though, there were more high points, and it was a good class. This is a photo that was taken after the class had ended, and the participants were taking their test. The test is 80 questions covering the four sections that were discussed this week. All the questions are true/false or multiple choice. I do not think the test is particularly difficult, but I personally have 'testing anxieties' and when in that situation, I sometimes start to second guess myself. Shouldn't do that!

The class monitor this morning was Erhard and this afternoon it was Jeff. This is a photo of Jeff (can you figure out which one is Jeff?) along with two of the staff members from the Education Department at the Board, Hessie and Minnie. I think this is a great photo.

THERE IS A DONUT SHOP IN BARTLETT. It made the front page of the Bartlett Tribune Progress (Serving Central Texas Since 1886). The article about the new business states "access to the parking lot is best by turning in from Alligator Road, since the drop off from Highway 95 is steep." Okay, I will meet you all there on Saturday morning!

Time for this one to go to bed. I really did not have much time to goof off yesterday or today, so I will do my best to make up for that tomorrow.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, DONUTS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2010 - Day Sixty Nine...

What an absolutely wonderful day I had today. All is right with the world, all the planets and stars and moons are all in proper alignment. I hope tomorrow is as good as today was. I had a day of teaching at the Austin Board of REALTORS and it was really a good class. I had fun (and learned a few things) and I think the class participants had fun and learned some good things that will help them be more successful and make some money! That is what I hope for every class I teach. The class was good, and I am very comfortable with the subject matter, so that always makes life easier. During the lunch break, my friends Socar and Terry came in after a Government Affairs meeting, and did a presentation about The Texas Real Estate Political Action Committee and it was very successful. They raised $575 in TREPAC donations, and I was very happy about that. What a terrific thing. I am happy to be a part of such a great group of people; staff, volunteers, class participants, colleagues...all of them. Here is one of my typical photos of the class...this is easier than getting a release from everyone with their permissions to post their photos on this blog..

The class monitors this morning were Jana and Warren (Who Cares?). Inside joke. Jana and Warren are both considered by me to be trusted colleagues, and anything they tell me is as good as money in the bank. I really appreciate the relationships I have made with many of my colleagues, and I am only happier by the day that I made the decision years ago to become a REALTOR. I feel like I have been on a journey of re-commitment, and I am happy about that. Oh, and Jana brought me a bar of home made soap, so that was pretty darn cool, too.

I did a bit of power real estate at breaks and over the lunch period, and returned phone calls most of the way home. I am also almost done with my most recent book on CD, it is a good one called 'Three Weeks with my Brother'. I would recommend it. I don't recall the authors name, but he has done several other books, so I will investigate those in the near future.

Still working on a couple deals, and things are going well with all of them. Steady as it goes. All is good.

Lasagna for dinner, and this is a photo of my after-dinner-while-I-make-phone-calls- and-enter-my-blog post survival kit. The telephone (which I cannot quit using tonight) the easy button (doesn't everyone have one) a glass of wine (Cabernet Savignon although I prefer a good Merlot) and the bar of soap Jana made and gave to me, I will save for later. She and her husband are getting their web-site ready to market the soaps, and I will let you know the URL just as soon as Jana says it is okay to publish it.

DONE.

Deeds, Actions, Kindnesses, HOME MADE SOAP, Changes, Whirled Peas, FUN!