2011 - Day Two Hundred Forty Three; Wednesday...

RIP you bastard! To Hell with you. Another August has (almost) come and gone, and as my friend Jamie has so eloquently posted on his face book page, we will not really miss you. We will not have fond recollections of you. You were mean and unfriendly. HATEFUL. And dry and hot and really too long to suit me. Why should August have 31 days and February only have 28. I move that we take (at least) one day away from August and give it to February. Do I hear a second? Any discussion? All those in favor say aye. Those opposed nay. The ayes have it. NOW, where do I file this new law? Probably wherever the Greenwich Mean Time people live. I'll get back to you...

Lunch today involved a little bit of champagne. Okay, probably more champagne than I have ever had at a lunch on any particular Wednesday in recent memory. A wonderful lunch, and I was with exceptionally good company.

Pretty much office work tomorrow, plus it is my Meals-On-Wheels delivery day, so that is always nice.

Tired, sleepy, going to bed.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Forty Two; Tuesday...

Really? It's only Tuesday? I thought it was Wednesday already. It seems like I have done a lot of stuff for this to be only the second day of the work-week.

It is late, I just got home, I'm tired. I have not heard any news all day (but I have heard and digested LOTS of gossip and here say), so there will not be an update on the HEAT, how many days it has been HOT, or anything else weather related. Since there is then, not much else to talk about, this entry will obviously be a short one.

This is something that is really not too unusual to see on my way to work in the mornings, however, they are not USUALLY right over the Interstate. Okay, I can't help myself here...this is a hot air balloon, and I am jumping to the conclusion that the air in the balloon has to be hotter than the surrounding air. Not the easiest thing to do these days in Austin, Texas and/or its' surrounds. I'm just saying...

Got lots of good work done this morning in the office, could almost say that I was getting caught up, then I headed off (after a nice lunch at El Mercado's) to a couple (three) meetings. The final meeting was really a preview to the TREPAC Golf Tournament that will be held in about three weeks. It included putting lessons and some really nice give-aways, and was held at GOLFSMITH in the Arboretum. A very nice place, and I want to thank GOLFSMITH for their participation to make the Golf Tournament a success. Let me know if you need information... This is a photo of me and Doren (Realty Line) during the event tonight. Thanks to Doren and Tawanna for always supporting the activities of the Austin Board! We all really appreciate it!

I am reading 'As I Lay Dying' by William Faulkner, and honestly, I am about half-way finished with the book, and honestly, it is kind of depressing and making me sad. I will finish it though, but really, talk about your basic downer...

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Forty One; Monday...

Blah, blah blah...HOT. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, record setting HEAT, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. ANOTHER RECORD blah, blah, blah. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah! Blah, blah, SCORCHER, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, NO END IN SITE! Blah, blah.

And there you have it!

I did some record setting of my own today, too. A partial personal best. On my last tank of gas, I averaged 158.4 miles per gallon. I could have gone another 45 miles or so (more if I could have found a charging place), but why push it? I am not sure if I have ever gone over 1,400 miles on a tank of gas, but the MPG is pretty great. BUT, according to my $10 calculator, the actual MPG was 159.24. It seems a shame that the calculator in the car is so inaccurate. Kind of like the calculator on my iPhone! Pitiful!

It was a pretty nice day in central Texas (if you overlook all the blah, blah, blah in the first paragraph). Folks seem friendly and happy, and I was even able to accomplish some retail therapy. Happiness is a new suit!

This week I am pretty much coasting towards the long Holiday Weekend. I hope to accomplish a whole lot of nothing, but I am not confident I will be able to achieve that goal. There is always something around here that I want/need to do, and I expect this weekend will be no different.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Forty; Sunday...

Well, this is getting ridiculous. This is the 73rd day with temperatures over 100 degrees this year. The OFFICIAL HIGH TEMPERATURE in Austin today was 112 degrees. Really? Are you kidding me? Is this death valley? Well, maybe death plains, because everything is dieing. Every day I decide there is no hope for something else, and I withhold water from it. I really honestly believe we will remember this year as 'the year everything died'. Trees are dieing, what was not killed off last winter by the extended freezing weather is now dieing because of no rain and excessive heat. The highest temperature we read on our thermometers today was 118. Not quite as bad as yesterday.

We got up this morning and I started doing chores. First things first: I needed to get the cattle fed, and I also took a fresh bale of hay out to them, and a new bucket of molasses. That should hold them for a while. Longhorns can go a while without a lot of food (but not ours) but they cannot go very long at all without water. They have two sources of water out in the pastures, so they do pretty well. I took this picture of the cattle to also show the clouds. Those puffy little cotton ball clouds are always kind of interesting to me.

We had lots of stuff to get organized from our 'closing-up-shop' yesterday, and pretty much by 11:30 we were pretty much under control. Jody and I headed into the big city of Georgetown and Round Rock, and we pretty much go by way of Berry Creek Park when we go in, just to avoid the Interstate and make a point that we are not in a hurry. We have passed these mail boxes time and time again, and I really never paid attention to them, but today they caught my eye. I drove about a mile past them and decided to turn back and take the photo. I really like these, and I am thinking maybe mail box clusters will become a new favorite subject for me.

I was interested in going suit shopping, even though there were no advertised sales happening. I found something nice at Penney's but of course they did not have my size. SO, I may stop at a different Penney's on my way home from work tomorrow. I expect there will be a plethora of sales this coming weekend, but maybe I can beat the crowds. Anyway, there was nothing to do but console myself with a frozen treat from Dairy Queen. AND, after that, I hit a couple more stores and still found nothing to buy. I HATE THAT!

When we got home, I strung water hoses half-way between here and the county line, just trying to get a little bit of water on the fruit trees up by the road. Honestly, I think I must have strung hoses seven or eight hundred feet from the front barn to those trees, but they each got some water. They still look kind of shriveled up, but at least I can say I tried.

The chickens seem to be doing well, at least there is plenty of food for them and there are water stations strategically placed around the property for a variety of wildlife. You do what you can.

I have been reduced to having my evening glass of wine out of a rocks glass instead of the big plastic wine glass I got at Wal-Mart. It was either go to rocks glass or start using a sippy-cup. I have been spilling wine about once a week now for the past several months, and last night I decided to surrender to my inner clumsiness and forget about it. The rocks glass has a much lower center-of-gravity, and I have not spilled anything in the last ten minutes, so it seems to be an overwhelming success! But really, I see absolutely no shame in a sippy-cup filled with a nice Merlot.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, BIGGER, LOWER GLASSES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2011 - Day Two Hundred Thirty Nine; Saturday...

Okay, so despite the fact that Jody and I both worked our ASSES off all day today, I did not do a single thing to document the happenings. SO, I did an Internet search for 'random visuals' and came up with a photo of a car buried deep under a bunch of snow. So then I searched for 'cold' and found several disgusting examples of viruses, but I settled on this lovely photo of an ice-flow. Jody and I actually floated around several ice-flows like this when we took a trip to Alaska several years ago. I am thinking cold thoughts since the 'official' temperature in Austin today was 110 degrees. Our nuclear powered weather stations (we have two) reported temperatures between 117 degrees and 121 degrees, and I do not really believe they were exaggerating. It was BRUTAL just walking out to the chicken coop, and tomorrow is supposed to be pretty much the same. CAN WE GET A BREAK HERE, PLEASE?

We are officially OUT of the resale business. The cooperative venture where we had maintained a booth for the last couple years lost their lease, and moved to another location. We decided NOT to make the move with them and we spent part of the day yesterday and most of the day today cleaning out our space. We are totally amazed that we are completely finished, however we are both EXHAUSTED.

About 1 o'clock this afternoon, we went to Chick-Fil-A (don't tell the chickens) and had lunch of chicken salad sandwiches, waffle fries and milk shakes. DO NOT inform the Dairy Queen officials, we do not want to jeopardize our standing with them. BUT, I must tell you, ever since our friend Michael from Florida turned me on to the Oreo Cookie Milk Shake, I have enjoyed them VERY MUCH.

After lunch we went and got the last bit of stuff out of the shop (we were using Jody's truck AND my truck) and then we stopped at HEB. We made it home and both of us passed out for naps.

After we watched the news, we headed to the Schwertner Community Center for a bar-b-cue dinner to benefit the Bartlett Volunteer Fire Department. VERY GOOD, and we ran into our neighbors Randy and Irene there. We were expecting to see Pauline and Hubert, but they may have been there earlier. ANYWAY, as I said, it was a very good dinner, and we brought dessert home with us, which I will consume shortly after I hit the send button on this entry.

Tomorrow I need to empty both the trucks, feed the cattle, take a fresh bale of hay out to them, finish watering, water the trees and clean the pool. Then in the afternoon...

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Thirty Eight; FRIDAY...

Yes boys and girls it is true, we have made it to another Friday. FRIDAY! So this is (whatever) going to be a short entry, so I can start my weekend!

Nice half-day in the office today, and expecting a nice week next week as well. Had a closing this morning, and another one is scheduled for Monday. SCHEDULED, because these days you never really know for sure if the deals is going to happen or not. There is much more uncertainty these days than previously in my career.

I got home at about 1 o'clock this afternoon, Jody and I had LOTS of things to get accomplished this weekend, so we needed a jump-start to get everything accomplished. On the way, we stopped by Berry Creek just outside Georgetown and fed the burros that live in the park. Jody does this on a pretty regular basis, and I was actually surprised that the boys did not come running when they saw Jody's car. BUT, they hung-back until he got out of the car and rattled the bag. After all, there is really no reason to lease the shady spot if there is not a reasonable expectation of a sweet hand-out. They got it!

We are all worried about all of our friends on the east coast. We are gonna make a few phone calls this evening and touch some friends through e-mail and FaceBook. We hope everyone is safe, but it looks like it might be a bad storm. If you think about it, send us some water if you can. UPS is good.

We thought we had lost a chick last night, there were only five of the new chicks around when we put them to bed, and Jody and I both looked everywhere we could think of, and I looked all over this morning as well. BUT, when I got home this afternoon, he said they were all there, so that one is a mystery to me!

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Thirty Seven; Thursday...

Good news boys and girls. It rained for about 49 seconds in downtown Austin this morning. This is what happens when it rains; everyone in our building was out of their offices and playing. Toni and Carrie were dancing in the rain. It was quite a site. Traffic almost came to (or skidded to) a stop temporarily. Well, I have to admit, it was fun for the few seconds it lasted. It did rain enough that MOST of the dots connected, but there was no measurable amounts recorded anywhere. IT (you remember IT) did provide enough cloud cover that the temperatures did not get to the century mark in Austin, but further north (where we live) it did exceed that. BUT, since there are no records (of ANYTHING) in or around Bartlett, we just go by what happens in Austin, so our record of 70 days over 100 degrees is stagnant. We will wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Even though I had expected really increased traffic during my commutes all week, it really did not hit until this morning, going and coming. It did take me a little longer to get to the office this morning, maybe an extra 20 minutes or so, but it seemed like I was stopping a lot. On the way home, I was delayed by FOUR FIRES just off the Interstate, between Grand Avenue Parkway and the Toll Road. A couple buildings (warehouses) were destroyed, and traffic was back-ed up for miles. Seems to be some controversy as to whether the fire (I am telling you , I saw FOUR different fires) was started by a car fire or by someone throwing out a cigarette. Who knows, but I saw more folks driving down the Interstate this afternoon flicking cigarettes out the window. Makes me very sad. What are these people thinking?

This is another photo taken JUST AFTER the rain event. Not really sure what you call an 'event' that lasts under a minute. ANYWAY, the clouds were pretty darned impressive, so I thought they would make a good mention in this entry.

This morning I had nine folks on my Meals-On-Wheels route, and Chris one of the agents in our office went along with me. I think he enjoyed it, and I certainly enjoyed him going along with me. Before we went to each clients house, I would tell him a little bit about the client, what they would be wearing (in some cases) and stuff like that. Most of it went pretty much as I thought it would. It was fun, and it is always something I enjoy doing. All my favorites were on the route today, so that was fun!

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Thirty Six; Wednesday...

Okay, so here is the bad news (and if you pay attention you might pick up on a theme in this entry). I was on my way home from work this afternoon, and the weather reporter stated that we 'might get some really hot temperatures by Friday and into the weekend'. WTF? What do you think has been going on for the last three months or so? We have had REALLY HOT TEMPERATURES here ALREADY! We don't need anymore. We set a NEW RECORD today, and we expect to set another one every day for at least the next seven days. Today marked the 70th day this year that we had temperatures over 100 degrees. Not just 100 degrees, today it was 105. When the genius on the radio said it was gonna get 'really hot' this weekend, the thermometer in my car was registering 111 degrees. When I got home, one of the nuclear powered weather stations was reporting 115 and the other one said 105. Whatever! It is warm.

Bad and disturbing news. I followed a man (a boy really) down the Interstate this afternoon for about 15 miles or so, and he continually flicked the ashes from his cigarette out his 1964 Sea Mist Blue Chevrolet. How can a kid with such a cool car be so totally uncool and CLUELESS? If you have any sense in central Texas right now, you are constantly on guard for fires. Hundreds and hundreds of acres are burning weekly around here, and we are all living on dry kindling. It only takes a spark; we have had grass fires destroy hundreds of acres and homes caused by people driving on flat tires, parking in grass and the catalytic converter starts a fire, unattended bar-b-cues and ARSON! This kid (and anyone else that is so crassly negligent) should be charged with arson if it could be proved fires started be their poor decisions.

Finished with that...

Here is some bad news (if you are a snake). Jody reported that he collected only one egg today, but that one of the wooden nest eggs is missing. He also saw a pretty good sized snake in the coop today, so we figure the snake munched down on one of the wooden nest eggs. I wonder how long that will take. How long will it take for a snake to digest a wooden egg? CAN as snake digest a wooded egg? Is the snake pretty much a goner? Interesting things happen out here.

Okay, in conclusion (YIPPEE) I have done pretty good with this tank of gas, but that could change tomorrow and Friday. By my calculations, the actual MPG so far is more accurately reported at 171.83 MPG, not 172 MPG. BUT, I guess this cars calculator is programmed by Democrats to over-estimate the actual mileage so you will feel better about doing your part. Whatever! I think it is pretty good mileage, and I will keep trying to improve on my personal bests!

All week long I have felt like I was a day behind, like today should really be Thursday. And Jody reports that his week is just flying by.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Thirty Five; Tuesday...

If you have nothing really interesting to say, or you are just too hot to say it, and/or you have no interesting photos, I suggest you log-on to the Internet and R&D (ripoff and duplicate) it. So, here goes...

All-time Austin heat record tied

August 23rd, 2011 at 1:00 am by Jim Spencer (KXAN) Prior to 2009, we often wondered whether Austin’s heat wave records from the 1920s were really accurate. After all, we’d never even been close to experiencing 66 days of triple digit heat, as recorded in 1923, much less the 69 day record from 1925. In fact, until we recorded 50 days in 2008, the closest we had come was 42 days back in 2000.

The summers of 2009 and 2011 have put the matter to rest. Monday’s record-tying high of 105 degrees was the 68th time this summer the high reached 100 degrees or hotter, equaling 2009′s number.

The all-time record of 69 days was tied early Tuesday afternoon as the temperatures topped 100 degrees again, and Wednesday will become the 70th day–a new all-time record for Austin. Unfortunately, the record will only last one day, because we are forecasting triple digit highs into early next week, meaning a new record will be established every day.

The screen shot about is the actual temperatures in the area this evening at 6 o'clock!

And so it goes. Not only that, but the east coast is getting ready for a Hurricane. I truly and honestly and sincerely hope there is no tremendous damage and/or injury as a result of that storm, but we really would like a nice little hurricane to come our way. We are not wanting to be selfish or anything, but we really need the water, we are just drying up.

Chickens are well, Jody retrieved four eggs from them today. The interaction between the old girls and the new girls is interesting. The new chicks go out into the pen much earlier than the old girls, and they get first crack at the cabbage and bread that we put out in the evening. Once the old girls come down from their roost, the young girls go back into their area of the barn and hang out til the coast is clear. Very interesting.

Getting ready for ribs again tonight, that (I think) will pretty much do it for this go-round. Tomorrow is another day, and I have actually been getting lots of work done this week. I have a closing on Friday and another one on Monday, so things could be going a lot worse!

I am the luckiest man in the world!

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Thirty Four; Monday...

Not a terrible day for a Monday, if you get past traffic, temperature and temperament. From where I am sitting right now in the office at home, I can see an exquisite male Cardinal visiting the little fountain on the front porch. So, all-in-all, not a bad way of starting off the week. AND, I FOUND MY HAT. That is another story, and FB friends have been circulating a petition that I sacrifice the hat to see if that would make it rain. I admit, I contemplated it, but, nope, not gonna happen.

I did not succumb to the massive angst that goes along with traffic on the first day of school in central Texas. I played it cool and did not go crazy, but really, I think the worst has not yet happened. I stopped on the way in to the office and completed a series of errands, and really do not remember any terrible episodes on the Interstate. I really think tomorrow or Wednesday will be worse than today. Something tells me the full brunt of back-to-school traffic has not been achieved.

After I got home this afternoon, I went out to check the chickens, and on the way out there was a bunny on the path. Seeing bunnies on the path out to the front barn is not unusual, but being able to get an adequate photo to document the occurrence is another thing all together. BUT, this little bun-rabbit was most cooperative, and I was able to take three photos and chose this as the one to post. Enjoy.

Looking forward to a calm remainder of the week. How about you guys?

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Thirty Three; Sunday...

Today is the 67th day this year with temperatures in excess of 100 degrees. That means that almost a-third of the year has seen temperatures in excess of 100 degrees. And there is no change in sight. We will break the record of 69 days on Wednesday (which means Wednesday will be the 70th day this year). Which brings us to bacon. Let's talk about bacon for a minute, shall we? Even if we shan't, there is not getting around it since this is MY blog, and I am kind of (okay forget that, I AM) in control of the content. SO, we had bacon to go along with our egg-loaf this morning, and it was DEE-LICIOUS! Yummy. I LOVES ME SOME BACON. If it was up to me, I would have bacon with my bacon. That is how much I loves me some bacon!

After breakfast (wherein we had some bacon) I started on some chores and some this-and-that, and out storm shelter arrived. This was a long term process. We started investigating the idea of a storm shelter for out here much earlier in the year, probably in April or so. We live not far from Jarrell, Texas which was pretty much wiped off the map back in 1997. AND we have (since we have lived here, not recently) experienced some BIG storms which included really high winds. SO, we decided to get a shelter. Today was the day (actually Friday was the day at first, and then Saturday was the day (and we got a call about 10 o'clock Friday night announcing that the REAL day would be on Sunday).

ANYWAY, today arrived and there was no shelter at 8 o'clock (the designated time) but it did arrive on a big truck with two gentlemen to install it about 9 o'clock. The shelter arrives in two parts (bottom and top luckily enough) and it weighs about 12,000 pounds, and it installed in a large hole in the ground. It is an interesting process and these two guys have obviously installed a few of these recently because they worked well together and got the job done completely in about three hours. Jody told the one guy that he was a 'back hoe artist' and felt like if someone asked him to put a little dirt in his pocket he would not be surprised if he could do it. So, there is a hole first, the bottom goes in, they put a sealer on the bottom piece, fit the top piece to it and then the bolt the two pieces together with a steel strap and back fill the hole.

We are going to put an extension on the deck between the existing deck and the entrance to the shelter (something for you to do Joe Mac or Jim, if you are interested). We are jumping to the conclusion that if we EVER really have to make use of this shelter if will be most likely in the dark and we would prefer NOT having to navigate several different levels to get into it. We are also making the assumption that, since we now have this shelter WE WILL NEVER HAVE TO ACTUALLY USE IT. I kind of think of it like renters insurance. If you have it, you won't need it. I HOPE SO, ANYWAY!

ANYWAY (I seem to use that word a lot), that was kind of an exciting morning. In between periods of watching them install the shelter (I can watch people do things like this for hours), I went back into the pasture where the cattle are and put together a new hay ring (replacing the one the cattle TOTALLY destroyed recently) and fed them and put a new bale of hay out for them. They are doing well, although they are certainly more LEAN than I have really ever seen them. I may need to start feeding them twice a week instead of once a week, and maybe taking hay out to them more frequently that I have been.

We also took a drive into Georgetown an had a spoiler at Dairy Queen. I was going to spring for a Peanut Buster Parfait (recommended by my friend Tandy), but I had an Oreo Cookie Blizzard instead. Jody had a Chocolate French Silk Pie Blizzard. Jody is going down the list of the various chocolate Blizzard selections, and he has a few more to go through before he completes that tour. We have a three-day Holiday Weekend coming up in a few weeks, so we can make a little extra progress on the Blizzard tour then.

Back home, we both went down for naps, and Jody is getting everything ready for dinner. More pork ribs from the Taylor Cafe. More YUMMIES, can hardly wait. I am about ready to faint from starvation right now.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Thirty Two; Saturday...

Honestly, it IS all about the hay, baby! You know it is bad when the county roads around here are teeming with trucks hauling (what they refer to as) hay. All the area farmers are baling the remnants of their failed crops this year (corn, Milo, etc) and I cannot understand if there is any nutritional value of this stuff or if it just gives the cattle the perception of something to eat, chew, digest and pass. I think it is just something the cattle eat our of habit, and if they are not getting some kind of supplemental nutrition from their owners, it is just an exercise in futility. Maybe those of you out there that are more learned about this subject can help me out.

This was a day of accomplishments, even though most of them were minor accomplishments. Even though it was Saturday, I was up at 4:30 because I needed to head into Austin to teach a class at the Board. SO, before I could leave, I needed to do my chores and get some other things accomplished here at the house before heading into town.

Had a really good class (TREC LEGAL UPDATE) that the proceeds from the class went towards the students investment in TREPAC. We REALLY need to be investing in TREPAC more now than ever before, but don't get me started.

I had taken the truck into Austin, because I needed to run some errands on the way home, particularly, I needed to stop at Tractor Supply in Taylor to pick up a new hay ring, one of my other ones collapsed last week, so it needed to be replaced. On the way (of course) I stopped at the Texan Cafe in Hutto and picked up a couple slices of pie for me and Jody; Chocolate of some sort and Key Lime. We will split the slices, and so we will both be able to enjoy both. There is another check mark for your list Joe-Mac!

Picked up the hay ring, and stopped to put gas in the truck, even though I really was not in need of gas. I am glad I was not REALLY in need of gas, because the truck took NINETY DOLLARS Worth of gas. I wonder how much it would be if it REALLY needed gas? Whatever...

Got home and Jody and I headed off to Georgetown for our weekly spoiler, Hot Fudge Sundae's at Dairy Queen. I think tomorrow I will try a peanut buster parfait (recommended by my friend Tandy). I will let you know how that works out!

This is a photo of Terry, Carrie and myself from last Thursday night at the TREPAC Wine Tasting at Green Pastures. I am pretty sure a fun and good time was had by all!

Tomorrow will be a slower day, as should be most of next week. I do have a closing next week, and closings are always a good thing. I need MORE closings, please. Pretty Please? Oh, and as long as I am asking, can I have some rain, too? Just checking.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Thirty One; FRIDAY!!!

Okay, well, perhaps I am a little bit too excited about it being Friday, but I am ready for it. My weekend will actually start about 1 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, since I am teaching a class at the Austin Board of REALTORS tomorrow morning. On the way home from class, I am stopping by the Taylor Bar B Cue and bringing home ribs for dinner. OMG they are GREAT. AND, the dog-boy benefits, and you know it is all about the dog-boy.

Somebody is getting some hay, this truck took the 2243 exit I think this morning, heading somewhere towards Leander off IH-35. And it looks like really good hay, too. If I had to guess, I would say it was at least $150 per bale, so that means there is about $3,500 worth of hay on that truck. I am very pleased that I did not sell any of the hay we produced here. I think I still have 40 or 50 bales of hay, and hopefully we will get some more rain in the future (there is a tropical depression in the Atlantic that holds a little promise for us) I will be able to cut and bale some more hay. Keep you fingers crossed for me and the cattle. Jeanne, I will bring Mr. Buns some hay at the next BOD meeting.

All is well on the chicken front as best as I can tell. Since I have been home, I went out and checked on the chicks and they were all accounted for. I think I have also seen four of the five big girls, but it is so darned hot outside they are hanging out somewhere cool and maybe a little bit damp. They seem to gravitate to the HVAC compressors and the discharge line. From where I am sitting, I can see three of them, and I saw another one, so if I could see both of the barred rocks at the same time, that would account for everybody (chicken speaking). This is a photo of one of the little chicks (not so little anymore), kind of in a silhouette. I think it looked better in reality than it does in photo.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Thirty; Thursday...

I think it was pretty much a sold out affair tonight at Green Pastures where the ABoR Political Action Committee held their Wine Tasting Event. A fun time was had by all, and it is late and I am tired. I was really a lot of fun, and there were lots of people there. We will not have a full accounting of the money we raised, but I expect it will be a record breaker! Many of our elected officials were in attendance, both local, state and national, and it was very interesting to watch our REALTOR members talk with their representatives and network with each other. A really great event, and congratulations to all the volunteers and staff that worked so hard to make it happen.

I had another great day as well, made some good accomplishments, and got a lot of work done. I have a pretty open schedule tomorrow, although I do have a couple appointments. I will also be teaching a class on Saturday, but free on Sunday and my schedule next week looks like I will have some time to do some real estate. Always a good thing.

The chickens are doing well, and we are continuing to set temperature records. The little chicks are nine weeks old today, and this is our 64th day this year to have temperatures over 100 degrees. Closing in on 30% of the year has been over 100 degrees. This really needs to stop, and we really need to get some rain. PLEASE?

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Twenty Nine; Wednesday...

...which makes me wonder, in order to have a silver lining is it necessary to have a cloud? I really doubt it, because I really feel that there are many more silver linings (if you only recognize them when you see them) than there are clouds. Clouds are just about t=one of the prettiest things I can think of, and they are free (usually). Just take a darn minute, take a deep breath, and sit down and look at the clouds. Enjoy yourself...

Today was a really great day, and it was jam-packed with accomplishments. Nothing that would really be of any interest to the masses, but for me it was a great day. Tomorrow will be another great day, and I expect much of the same on Friday. In fact, everything I can see ahead is not all that bad.

I seem to be in a really good mood, but there is nothing to complain about, so I an really pleased to recognize that I am the luckiest person in the universe.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Twenty Eight; Tuesday...

I will NEVER be able to maintain this. For the last two days, I have been able to go to the Austin Board of REALTORS, plug in my car for several hours, and then drive home. Just about 80 miles per day, and totally on the electrical charges I have been able to get. BUT TOMORROW will be another story, and the mileage diminishes much more rapidly than it improves. Kind of like losing and gaining weight. It takes very little effort to gain weight, but it is tough to lose weight. Believe me, I know! So, beginning tomorrow, I will not be able to achieve the MPG results of the past several days and I will rapidly decrease from my current average of about 616 MPG. Oh, Crap!

Finished another day of classes today, and it was a good class. I learned a lot from the attendees today, in fact, I learned a lot about how to conduct classes. I have given myself an evaluation, and I believe I can make some positive changes to a few of my techniques, and that will be a good thing. I am looking forward to my next teaching assignments which will not happen for about another month. Well, that is really not accurate, I will be teaching a quick class this coming Saturday, but the middle of September will be another two day class.

Another happy day if you happen to be a chicken at JB Acres. I am still amazed that the little chicks are staying so close to their inside nests. I am pretty darned sure that they venture out a little bit, and the big girls are aware of their presence, but so far there has been no real challenges. Lat night there was a little bit of territorial challenges, but no evidence of severe pecking or blood. A good sign for sure.

Busy day tomorrow.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, NO CHICKEN BLOOD, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2011 - Day Two Hundred Twenty Seven; Monday...

I don't get no rain around here. Clouds, clouds, clouds, but no rain. What does it take to get a little bit of rain around here? I am starting to feel like the Rodney Dangerfield of rain around here. I can't get no rain. ...or maybe Henny Youngman...take my dust, PLEASE!

But we get clouds. Lovely beautiful clouds. As you can see, there is not that much between us and the sky (which includes the clouds). We get to see the clouds every day, and there is nothing in the way of them, nothing blocking them. Sometimes people take the clouds and the sky for granted, but I get to see them pretty frequently, and I get to appreciate them. I hope you get a second soon to appreciate something that you might ordinarily take for granted.

A full day of teaching today, and another full day tomorrow. Subjects that I am passionate about always make teaching the classes easier, and today's class was pretty good. I think the attendees learned some things, and I know for sure that I learned A LOT of stuff. That is always great, I appreciate new ideas and new ways of thinking about things, and I am always open (at least I try to be) to learning something.

OVERALL, A REALLY WONDERFULLY SUCCESSFUL DAY.

No chick update yet, I have not been out there to check on them since I have been home, but Jody said he collected five eggs from the big girls today. I wonder if they are threatened by the appearance of the new little girls. They should not be a threat, but you never know.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CLOUDS BUT NO RAIN, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas (World Peace), FUN!

2011 - Day Two Hundred Twenty Six; Sunday...

It has become painfully obvious to Jody and me that some things are just not intended for us. Cases in point A). Rain and B). Seeing the new movie 'The Help'. I do not really think there is any need to discuss A, but B is kind of making me grumpy. We went into Georgetown yesterday afternoon with a couple intentions; stop at the Dairy Queen, pick up a couple things at Home Depot, go by the pool supply place, and then head over to the Georgetown Multi-Plex (not its' real name because I intend to criticize it later) to see the 2:35 offering of the movie. WELL, it was my fault for trying to over think the arrival time, and when we did arrive about 15 minutes before the showtime, we were told there were only 10 tickets left and most likely the seats were on the front row, and we could most likely not sit together. WELL THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE, so we left, and I did not even make a scene (since it was totally my fault). How very mature of me if I do say so myself.

SO, we got up this morning and decided to go to the 11:05 showing of the feature (according to the times listed on the web-site) and so we got there about 20 minutes early and were delighted that the parking lot was hardly full at all. We went into the lobby and were confronted by several people ahead of us complaining to the management (totally incapable by the way) because they said the first showing was not until 2 something and the web-sites were correct and it was not their fault that so many people were showing up for a feature several hours ahead of schedule. Whatever...SO, seeing as how there were several other folks giving the 'I only get paid $4.95 per hour assistant manager' pure hell, we decided to leave and try back (maybe) another weekend. Who knows, maybe we will just wait for it to be on pay per view. Really, going to a multi-plex (and being confronted with ALL THAT REALITY) is not something we have an affinity for. We (okay I) prefer our reality in a controlled environment (the den) on a 50" flat screen. PLUS, when you get in big crowds like that, there are all kinds of germs and things, so we are probably better off passing on the whole ordeal. We shall see...

Another successful (so far) chicken day. I am really surprised that the little chicks are not more curious than they have shown. They come out into the caged area and sometimes venture out into the open area for a little while, but generally they are staying in their little caged area and seem perfectly content. I expect this week will see them getting more and more confident and exploring the world of JB Acres.

No rain again today, but the high temperature today was 105 degrees, so that makes the 60th day this year with temperatures of 100 degrees or more. Pretty Darned hot if I do say so myself. There have been FaceBook reports of rain around the area, but nothing here. Off to the east there are dark clouds but here is a pretty nice photo of the typical 5 o'clock cloud shadow (hope you like this one Gina) I see a lot of (usually on my way home from Austin). Gina reported last week that she really liked the photos I had been posting, so I was thinking of her when I was taking this picture this afternoon.

Tomorrow will be a pretty fun day, I will be teaching classes on on Monday and Tuesday, so I always enjoy that. Wednesday will be busy, Thursday will be a little less busy, and I have no idea at all what is going on Friday. So far it looks open. I expect that will change, however.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, NO MOVIE FOR YOU, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2011 - Day Two Hundred Twenty Five; Saturday...

Well now, isn't this exciting. We had a cold front move through today...okay not really, we just had clouds hanging around all day and we did not break 100 degrees for the first time in 27 days. We only made it up to 97 degrees today, which has been the average 9 PM temperature for the last couple weeks, so it was a nice day overall. BUT, the temperatures are supposed to be back up over 100 starting again tomorrow, and that is what it says for the entire seven day forecast.

SO, I took advantage of the cooler climes and got quite a bit of work done around the house today. I fed the bees, fed the cattle, took a fresh bale of hay out to the cattle, watered plants and pulled weeds. Then I watered the foundation of the house with soaker hoses (trying to keep the slab from failing) and did a few other odd jobs. All in all a pretty good day.

We received a BEE package (singular) in the mail this week, but it was ONE BIG BEE to say the least. It is an imported bee (at least from Mississippi) but we are not sure of the country of origin. Our friends Carolyn and Joe Mac sent us this lovely one, who now has permanent residence at the entry of the house. BEAUTIFUL.

Well, I have to tell you, this poor chicken (remember the brooder?) has lost all but one of her tail feathers, and I tried to pull that one out but it is stuck in pretty well. I have to tell you she looks pretty pitiful running around with only one tail feather. Bless her heart...

BUT, so far so god. The little chicks have survived their first full day of being able to roam the property on their own. So far no serious pecking from the big girls, and none of them have been the victims of hawks, cats, coyotes or owls. All in all a pretty darned good day.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Twenty Four; Friday...

Big whoop! So it's Friday, whatever...

Oh, wait, did I mention it is Friday? YIPPEE! Today has been one of those days. I have to admit, there were two or three or four PEAKS for every one of the valleys, but the valleys were really VALLEYS. BUT, it is over now, everything worked out alright, and no one was hurt. Well, maybe...

There was a lot of activity today, listings, property walkings, new account takings, this-and-thattings...I was starving, so I decided to eat yesterdays salad, and that did not really satisfy me. Chris and I walked next door (where Chris had lunch and I watched). I did have a few tortilla chips, but that was all. I really need to get a grip and quit the snacking. I think it is the heat. Even if it is not the heat (and really just a lack of will power), I will blame it on the heat. I blame everything on the heat these days.

A lot of good contacts were made today, and the planning for 2012 is already underway. 2012 if going to be a fantastic year, even if it kills me! Not really.

Tomorrow is a big day in chicken life here at J B Acres. The little girls are going to (hopefully) integrate with the big girls, and the big girls are not going to peck at them too badly. Hence the term 'pecking order'. It is all about your rank in the coop. Trust me!

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Twenty Three; Thursday...

So, it was another cool day in central Texas again today, the high temperature was only 104 degrees. SO, that means (sine this was something like our 56th day this year with temperatures over 100 degrees) that about 26% of the year has seen temperatures over 100 degrees. Over a quarter of the year has been EXTREMELY HOT, and we have had (almost) no rain.

The day started out extremely cloudy which I think kept the temperatures kind of on the temperate side. A really nice day though. I had my Meals-On-Wheels delivery day today, and that is always a nice diversion for me. Two of my regulars were not on my route today, one was a planned absence and the other just was not at home. In extreme weather like we have been having, that is always kind of a concern. Hopefully, everything is okay.

The chickens are developing new (bad) habits. Okay, let me rephrase that. The chickens are training me and bending my actions to their wills. They have convinced me that I should give them a little bit of chicken feed outside the coop when I am checking on the baby chicks. Everyone is happy! This is a pretty big day in the (short) lives of the baby chicks. They are (I think) eight weeks old today, and this weekend will be their test out into the real (scary) world. I m hoping that they will have good instincts and know to be cautious. We shall see how that goes. I hope Saturday evening finds us with a total of eleven chickens. Keep your fingers crossed.

About fifty miles away from us, in Marble Falls, Texas, there was rain this afternoon. At least that is what they reported on the news earlier this evening. AND, they showed film of the phenomenon just to remind us of what it looks like (and sounds like) when water falls from the sky. We had more clouds this afternoon, but they were pretty darned useless, unless of course, you consider the loveliness factor of just looking at the clouds. Enjoy yourself!

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Twenty Two; Wednesday...

I can guarantee you that the guy INSIDE the tractor feels that 12 MPH is faster than all the cars behind him think it is. INSIDE the tractor there is a lot of bounce and jiggle, so it feels like you are flying down the road. BUT, if you are behind him, it feels like you are driving 12 Miles Per Hour. There is really not much you can do about it but pass him on a curve AND a double yellow line. OH, and by the way, when did civilization quit paying attention to yellow lines in the middle of the road. Out here (on the edge of nowhere) no one pays attention to yellow lines, I don't care how many of them there are. Almost EVERYONE will pass anyone on a double yellow line. I'm just saying...

Kind of a cool one today. The high temperature was only 104 degrees, so we expect there must have been a front hat passed through or something. Every day in the seven day forecast is over 100 degrees, nothing below 104 though. AND NO RAIN.

The littlest chicks will be eight weeks old tomorrow, and they are getting kind of pushy in their old age. This weekend will be the big test of their grown-upness and their instincts. They will be let loose with the big girls, and they will be allowed to 'roam free' for the first time. Who knows, maybe on Saturday afternoon we will have several fewer chicks than we have right now. We shall see.

You know I am getting a little over-scheduled when I show up for an appointment a day early. At least I did not show up a day late! That would have been much worse. SO, we will do a repeat of that tomorrow afternoon just to see how the meeting turns out.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Twenty One; Tuesday...

Well, what do you call a mama and two baby skunks crossing the road? A trip? A charm? A knot? A clutch? A troop? A host? A harras? A bouquet? A school? A litter? A covey? A pride? A herd? A gaggle? For the answer, scroll down to the bottom of this entry!

So, even though this is most likely the WORST photograph I have ever posted, this is what I encountered on my way to work this morning, just a little ways away from the house. A pretty little mama skunk and two little baby skunks. I parked the car, and got out and tried to decide exactly how close I could get to these guys. I did not get too close, but I did get this really poor photograph. And off they waddled into the corn field next to the road. Interesting.

I have decided that, if I were not totally happy with the life I am already living, I would want to be a story teller. I like telling stories, so that is what I would want to do. Telling stories is interesting and fun and every now and then I have an opportunity to share some of the experiences I have had in my life!

I have come to the conclusion that the hotter it gets outside and the longer it stays hot, the less patience EVERYONE has with ANYONE else. I have to tell you, customer service (not mine of course) has degenerated to new lows. I have (today) had challenges with banking institutions AND the USPS, both are pretty LARGE bureaucratic based organizations, and really, there is no way to get either one of them to bend to the needs of the consumer. Even if all I really want them to do is what they advertise. Like picking up the mail (our out-going mail has not been picked up since August 1st). Or posting payments to accounts within their same institution.

We have ways of dealing with people like that,and I am available for consultations.

The answer to the question; what do you call a group of skunks? A surfeit!

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Twenty; Monday...

Or maybe I should say Mundane...

Not really. I made great strides in my pile of paperwork that WAS sitting on my desk, so that is a good accomplishment. Made it to the office in an incredibly LONG commute, there was a car overturned at one of the downtown exits. I saw that on the news before I even left the house, and they did not have it cleared for hours. I also made it to the bank, post office and various spots in between. This is a photo of the Thundercloud Subs sign (from inside the building) on Riverside Drive. Chris and I went there for lunch this afternoon, and I chowed down on an egg salad sandwich on whole wheat. Yummy good!

Jody made Frito Pie for dinner tonight, and that too was yummy good. In fact, it was better than that, it was DEE-licious. We all enjoyed it tremendously!

The chickens are all doing pretty well, and IT was another day today. That makes 55 days of IT so far this year, and 23 consecutive days of IT this year. That is a new record. Just 15 more days of IT and that will be a new record as well. Did you know that chickens do not perspire? So they just kind of walk around panting. The cattle are pretty smart (for cattle) and they stay in the barn most of the day, and only come out in the mornings and the evenings. I would think it would be more comfortable under the shade of the trees, but what do I know? I really do not think I am as smart as a cow, so why even try?

Tomorrow will be another watering day early in the morning. It will be kind of disappointing to figure out what will no longer get any water. You just have to give up on some of the plantings around the house. No sense in wasting water if the plants are not going to make it.

The Boy-Dog also enjoyed his share of Frito Pie, and he has some sort of aversion to having his photo taken. Lots of dogs are really photogenic, but this guy has never much cared for posing; in fact, he will do everything in his power not to have his picture taken.

I was able to stave off another trauma after dinner this evening. I had purchased a couple bottles of a wine that was even more fiscally conservative (cheap) and for a brief period I thought there was an actual cork underneath that faux foil wrapper. AU CONTRAIRE Mon Ami...it was just a twist top cap under a bit of mass produced disguise, and I was sipping in no time. Perfect!

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Nineteen; Sunday...

Well, one of my sources of continuing daytime drama came to a satisfactory conclusion late this morning. I had called to confirm that my hair cutter of choice would be working today, and I was unceremoniously informed that she (Irene) was no longer working at the SuperCuts in Georgetown. WELL! That is enough to shake you down to the core of your being. I know it (not IT) is only hair and at the worst case it will grow back, but finding someone to cut your hair without a lot of conversation is really important to me. I had been a faithful and loyal customer of Irene's since we had been living out here, and now I had to start all over again.

WELL! Jody went with me and we had to go into Pflugerville for me to 'lay eyes' on a property (can you believe HOA's are giving owners a hard time because the grass is dieing?), and then I decided to be brave and go the 'pot-luck' route at the hair cutting place. I was assigned to Bethany, who began the event with a little bit of an attitude problem (perhaps my first question should not have been WHAT HAPPENED TO IRENE, but as we got into the hair cut, things worked out, and I am very pleased with the end result. SO, I have now added Bethany's name to my phone, and I hope this lasts at least a couple years. Probably not, and I will need to figure out a less stressful tack for the next time this happens.

This is a photo of the new tank. It does not look nearly as impressive in this photo as it does in reality. If we ever get any rain, it should be a good one, and we will hopefully have lots of good sky water for the cattle to consume. IF IT EVER rains, I will also get some prairie grasses planted along the berms, and that will be nice too.

The morning glories are about dead, and the day Lillie's are done. It is just too hot and no rain. We are going through thousands of gallons of water a week, and that cannot last forever. The cattle are staying out of the sun as much as they possibly can, and who can blame them? We have no idea what the temperature went to today, and really, who cares? The chickens are coping pretty well, and the new chicks are getting big. Next weekend will be the big test; they will be 8 weeks old and we will mix them with the big girls.

I think the coming week will be relatively slow, and I will be able to get a lot of office work done. Hopefully there will be a closing this week as well, those are always welcome.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Eighteen; Saturday...

This photo kind of reminds me of what it would be like if we were to ever have rain again. Most of the day today was spent doing a lot of nothing, and part of the nothing was laying on the couch napping or looking out the windows towards the front of the property. Everything is dieing. The trees are dieing, the morning glories are about gone, I am not even sure if I should keep watering them and prolonging their misery. Nothing is thriving, and very little is surviving.

I did get the cattle moved to the west pasture this morning, and they seemed to be happy about that. There is really not much for them to eat (green wise) in that pasture, but they have some nice trees to hang out under (more trees on that side than on the east side).

IT is still with us, and IT looks like IT will be hanging around for a while. There are predictions that we may get some cooler weather in September, but this is still just the first week of August, so that seems a lifetime away.

Too hot to write.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Seventeen; Friday...

See that up there? The part where it says 'Friday'? Well, guess what? This is where you say 'I'll go with what'. Well, the truth is, IT'S FRIDAY!

Not that I am talking about the other IT, it just depends on what your definition of the word is is. I know my definition of the word IT, and I will not be fooled into talking about IT, but I will try to make it (not IT) perfectly clear that I know enough not to talk about IT. At least not until next week sometime.

No eggs today, IT is too darned hot for the girls to worry about laying. I wonder if their eggs could come out hard-boiled? Or maybe baked?

ANYWAY...on the way home this afternoon I decided to bring home something sweet for us, and I tried valiantly to get the Monument Cafe on the phone to ask them what kind of pies they were offering today, but their telephone line was busy from about 3 o'clock in the afternoon till after 5:30 (I am going with operator error on the restaurant staff part). SO, I decided to go to HEB instead, and they had a lovely variety of cakes and pies to choose from, and as long as I was there, I might as well pick up some flowers, too. I have been far too lax in bringing home flowers and candies, so I think I will discipline myself to be a bit more attentive and appreciative of the luck I have been afforded in my life. Never hurts to say thank you and/or show appreciation to those who mean so much to you.

I get to sleep in a little bit tomorrow, and I am looking really forward to that. AND I will be moving the cattle to the other pasture as well. It won't be that busy of a day, but it will be exhausting because of IT.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Sixteen; Thursday...

Another LONG but very productive and rewarding day.

Still not discussing or referring to IT, but IT is still with us, and this makes 51 days. No sense discussing IT, can't do anything about IT, so I am choosing just to avoid IT.

Have you ever tried taking photographs of flags? My first memory of trying was several years ago when Jody and I took a vacation via the American Orient Express. They have renamed that train now, but it was a wonderful experience, filled with glamour and nostalgia reminiscent of an easier time, a time that was less stressful than today, and much more relaxed. ANYWAY, we visited many of the National Parks, and I remember trying to take photographs of flags flying against the backdrop of shear cliffs. Thank goodness for digital photography, because it is darned difficult to get a good photo of flags flying.

Whatever. These are our flags in front of the house, and they are mighty beautiful!

Tomorrow is Friday, and there is the possibility of a happy dance!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, FLAGS A'FLAPPIN, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2011 - Day Two Hundred Fifteen; Wednesday...

OKAY, I am still not talking about IT, but I can tell you this is the 50th day of IT this year, and (about) the 25th day in a row of IT. Also, on my way home this evening (in the dark) IT was still crazy, about where we should be normally. AND IT WAS IN THE DARK!

A great day today, full of accomplishments and meaningful decisions made. I am proud to be associated with all the folks I am surrounded by. I am truly a lucky man.

After the first two sets of accomplishments, the office met up for dinner and then a wine tasting. Carrie and I had attended a Women's Council of REALTORS* function earlier in the year, and we bought a couple silent auction items; dinner for ten and a wine tasting for twelve. It (not IT) is really difficult to schedule nine or ten people for dinner and wine, but KUDOS to Karla (Kravitz) for pulling it off. We all had a big time, and now I am sitting in the office (at home) drinking more wine writing this entry.

Tomorrow will be a serious dress-up day, a pretty big day for me, and I hope it (not IT) will be another rewarding one. I am pretty confident, but don't want to put the cart before the horse. We shall see.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Fifteen; Wednesday...

2011 - Day Two Hundred Fourteen; Tuesday...

So, IT is getting to be ridiculous, and IT is not really worth wasting of good Internet space talking about IT. SO, I am going to quit talking about IT, and give IT a break for a solid week. I will no longer be discussing IT, and you cannot goad me into talking about IT, and I refuse to discuss IT.

We will see how this (IT) goes.

SO, since I am not talking about IT, why don't we just enjoy the pretty clouds, and think happy thoughts and being in nice serene places? This is a really kind of nice photo I took on the way home this afternoon (had to roll down the window to get a good shot and let some if IT in the car, but I am not talking about IT). We have been really fortunate to get some really lovely clouds that last week or so. Enjoy...

Tomorrow will be a longish day, a full day of stuff at the Board, and then we are having an office dinner and a wine tasting after that. SO, I expect I will not get home until around 9 o'clock tomorrow night. It will be fun, it always is!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, NOT TALKING ABOUT IT, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2011 - Day Two Hundred Thirteen; Monday...

Okay, I can't waste too much time with this entry, I may stick to the chair, and that is NOT something you want me to write about for the rest of this month. The OFFICIAL high temperature in Austin today was 107 degrees, and the thermometer in my car registered 109 degrees. BOTH of our nuclear powered atomic weather stations were at 109 degrees when I got home this afternoon. So, what time is it boys and girls? It is time to freakin quit talking about this weather and maybe it will go away. I'm just sayin...

A nice day at the office, but it was one of those 'not-enough-hours-in-the-day' kind of days. So, the whole thing will start up again tomorrow. On the way home, I spotted these lovely clouds, but I am no longer certain of the purpose of clouds, they seem to contain no moisture, so there is no chance of precipitation, so I am baffled by the whole purpose of them, unless it is just to be pretty and make me stop in the middle of a country road and roll the window down so the heat can come inside the car, and then I can complain about that. Or maybe their purpose is something totally different.

Then again...

Deeds, Actions, Changes, 109 DEGREES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!