2011 - Day Three Hundred Four; Monday...

As I reported to you yesterday, and I am happy to confirm by way of this entry, today is MONDAY. I did an Internet search this evening of the words 'headaches' and then 'headache', and then I viewed images of the results, and there was really nothing interesting enough that I thought good enough for this journal entry. So, instead, I took a picture of one of the chickens, and thought I would share it with you.

I have had a headache (off and on) for about five days now. Not terribly-terrible all the time, but just when I think it is safe to think I do not have a headache, it is back. Pesky little headache. It has been pretty darned constant now for about the last seven or eight hours. Crap!

I had a good office day today, and got a lot of work done. Tomorrow will be less about the office, and Wednesday will be about the same. Thursday and Friday are pretty much goners. And next week is pretty much gone already as well. Of course, then there is next year, and it is pretty much already spoken for as well.

Whatever...

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

2011 - Day Three Hundred Three; Sunday...

Today is Sunday, so you know what that means. Tomorrow is MONDAY. But, I actually feel pretty good about that. I got some work done at home over this weekend, so I am pretty darned prepared for the new week.

It has been a little cooler here for the last couple days, so we had a fire in the stove, and it has been nice. Last night it was TOO HOT, so it has been much more moderate today.

I have made lots of small accomplishments today as well; got the cattle fed and took fresh bales of hay out to both pastures (expecting to move the cattle to the other pasture next weekend, so that will put me a step ahead). Got the bees fed this morning, replaced the AC filters, and put a new 'sweep' weather strip on the door from the house to the garage. The sweeps on bot the front door and the garage door are old and worn out (just plastic), but the front door is too big and too heavy for me and Jody to do it by ourselves, so I need someone to come and help us with that. Hopefully that will be accomplished next weekend.

I am also on a mission to change ALL the batteries in the smoke detectors. I just counted them up, and there are TEN smoke detectors in this house. AND, if you count the glass breakage and heat detectors that are connected into the alarm system, that is another SIX, so I think I am going to be on a mission to change 16 9-volt batteries this weekend coming. GREAT...

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

2011 - Day Three Hundred Two; Saturday...

Every time I think I am going to go and do something simple with the truck, it turns out to be something completely different. Last time I had an issue, I ended up needing new battery cables and a new battery, PLUS some other service. Not inexpensive. Today, I wanted to take the truck in to have the dealer look at an issue that I did not think had been corrected previously, and get my State Inspection. Well, it seems the problem I had corrected was a result of dry rot in my tires, so before I could get the inspection, I needed a new set of tires. And the dealer did not have a set of tires, so I had to go (eventually) to three OTHER places to get the tires and the inspection. It was a bit of a challenge.

Needless to say, I was not really accomplishing my goal of doing as little as possible today, but progress was made. When I finally got tires and the inspection, I headed to the feed store to get feed for the cattle. While I was there, I called Jody to see if he wanted any bar-b-cue (I think I spell that several different ways, depending on the entry), so I stopped at The Taylor Cafe (around the corner from the feed store) and got some sausage and pork ribs. YUMMY. This is a photo of the interior of The Taylor Cafe, it has been there a while, and NOTHING has changed. Especially (most of) the personnel (including the hair styles) since (I would estimate) the mid-60's. I think that is also a record for the most uses of parentheses in a single sentence. Maybe...

Once I got home, I sat down and actually did a little bit of office work, and then Jody and I headed off to Georgetown, where we both had a nice hot fudge sundae.

Tomorrow will be a day of feeding cattle, doing a little bit more of nothing, and then we are going to the Schwertner Community Center to celebrate Pauline's 80th birthday. She is a feisty gal, and we especially appreciate that we are on her cookie and cheese-braid delivery route. Happy Birthday Pauline!

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

2011 - Day Three Hundred One; FRIDAY...

Okay, EVERYBODY! Let's all do our little FRIDAY dance. Come on, get up off it, do your little dance!

Took my car in to the Chevrolet dealer in Hutto this morning, and I hope this does not jinx anything; it is ALWAYS a pleasure to take my car in for service, no matter what kind of service it is. I had a call earlier in the week from the Chevrolet offices in Detroit, letting me know there was a software upgrade that they would like to perform on the car, could I drop it off at my convenience. So,we made the appointment for today, they put me in a loaner, and I was off. The entire service department crew at Covert Chevrolet in Hutto makes each visit there a nice experience. My hat is off to Ryan and his whole crew. The service is so great, that I am even going to drive out of my way to the dealership tomorrow to have the truck inspected. There are plenty of places that could inspect the truck, but I will take it to the dealer and let them do it. Oh, and while I am in the area, I will stop by Taylor feed and pick up some supplies!

Today my loaner was a GREAT BIG Chevrolet TRUCK. Pretty nice. It is kind of nice to get a different loaner every time I go in, it kind of gets rid of my insatiable desire for a new car every fifteen minutes.

This is why you (I guess) you make an appointment before you go to the Apple Genius Bar. My appointment was at 10 o'clock this morning, I got there about seven minutes early, and there was a line about 15 people deep. I 'checked in' and when they opened the doors, they would only let a certain amount of people in to begin with. Anyway, this is what the store looked like about five minutes after they opened. It was not a terrible experience either. Meg (short for Meghan, but she goes by Meg) made the whole trauma of trading phones a pleasant one, and she even uploaded everything to the 'cloud' and then downloaded everything back to my new phone. Not a single thing was lost, everything is there, life is good.

I put the girls to bed early tonight, no more skunk chasing for me. Interesting, there was a skunk out by the driveway this morning when I was driving out to work. BUT, no bad experiences tonight.

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

2011 - Day Three Hundred; Thursday...

Really? It is the 300th day of the year already? Where did yesterday go?

Today was a pretty darned good day, full of small accomplishments, BUT I am really looking forward to tomorrow. Tomorrow will basically be a day of working in the office and continuing to clear my e-mail in-box. Playing catch-up is getting more and more difficult the older and older I get.

We had a good and productive Property Management Meeting this morning, then I was off to the Women's Council of REALTORS Austin Chapter meeting. Then off to the Board for a good and productive meeting.

The cold front has come through, but there is (probably) a very low chance of precipitation. The sage is supposed to be a pretty good indicator of rain. If the sage is blooming, it is supposed to mean that we will get rain soon. BUT, the sage is doing its' thing, but the rain has not happened yet. We are very disappointed. BUT, we will settle for cooler temperatures, supposed to go down into the 40's tonight.

I actually made it home just after 5 o'clock, and fell asleep in my big blue chair watching the local news. I stopped at Papa John's Pizza on the way home, and that was a yummy good dinner (and at least a couple more before it is all over). We had a stuffed chicken and artichoke pizza, yummy good!

Well, this is something that will get your attention. Jody reminded me that I needed to go put the chickens to bed. I ALWAYS go out there with a flash light, and particularly since the time that Joe Mac and I went out there and there was a snake in the chickens pen area. Tonight, there was a SKUNK in the caged area, and I do not understand how a mammal cannot figure out how to GET OUT of a small enclosed area. Well, to say the least, that SCREAMING SOUND you heard was either me or the skunk, and if you have never seen a skunks butt-hole up close, I can guarantee you it is not really something you want to see. I never did see the skunk actually exit the enclosure, but I am sure it is not in the enclosure and it is not in the chicken coop. It will take both the skunk and me a few days (at least) to forget that experience.

Tomorrow will be a lovely day, with the hope that I will be getting my new iPhone fixed by the geniuses at the Apple Genius Bar. We shall see...

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

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

Okay, so if you ever wanted to know what I might look like in a Sumo Warrior Wrestling Outfit, you need not worry about it any more. Here you go, and you also may feel free to check this one off your bucket list. Yep, you don't need to worry about this one anymore, you can go ahead and check it off!

Today was the Austin Board of REALTORS Realty Round-Up trade show, and it was a total BLAST! I had a great time, and the whole thing is pretty much a blur. I have been attending these trade shows for years, but this one will stand out in (or fade away from) my memory for years and years to come. and don't forget Chris, you owe me BIG! HUGE!

And I am BEAT! I am going to finish this entry (and the 1/2 Klondike Bar that Jody just brought me) and go on to bed. Another day tomorrow. Another FULL day tomorrow. I hope all your days are full!

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

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

Not such a crazy day today, although I would not consider it to be totally SANE either. Plenty busy!

Had my annual 'poke & prod' session, and came away with a relatively clean bill of health. Couple things to be done, but not really concerned about it. Pay for a stress test? Really?

And have you heard that my new phone fell out of my pocket this morning and broke the lens? I have an appointment with the Apple Genius Bar on Friday, I think it is an easy fix for them (not for me) and this is one time that I am actually GLAD that I caved and took out the separate insurance. I do not usually do that, but I did this time for some unknown reason. Hopefully it will be money well spent.

Met with a wonderful colleague (HEY AMY!) for lunch today at Cover 3, first time I have ever eaten there (not the first time I have ever been there).

I had my MasterMind meeting this afternoon, and I really enjoy that. Great colleagues to bounce information off of, a great group of people that we all get together every couple months and just talk about what everyone is doing and we enjoy each others company.

Made it back to the office so we (me and Carrie) could meet up with Hester and Kris of the Austin Empty Bowl Project. We have been supporters of the Austin Empty Bowl Project for a long time, and we really appreciate all the hard work they do. We are sponsoring again this year, and I encourage everyone to come out on the Sunday before Thanksgiving and participate. Search for the Austin Empty Bowl Project and you will get all the details. This is a photo or me, Kris, Hester and Carrie presenting our check for to help sponsor their good works for this year. Come on out and give us some help on November 20th! It will make you feel good about yourself!

Realty Round-Up is tomorrow, so if you are in the neighborhood, stop by and have a big fun time. There are sure to be some surprises (guaranteed) so I hope to see all of our REALTOR colleagues there!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, AUSTIN EMPTY BOWL PROJECT, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

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

Kind of a typical Monday even though I really do not have typical Mondays. A busy day to say the least. Back to work after being out of town for a week (and not in the office for nine days), and it was really busy. Meetings til 2PM, and then power real estate. It was really good to see Tom and Karla and Chris. It seems like a long time, but I (we) knew everything would be fine with Tom and Karla watching over the office. No problems.

It was a good day for me and the Volt. A new personal best. Not gonna make too much out of it, my friend Hem takes exception to the accuracy of the mileage. I will say this; I think the mileage that was achieved while using gasoline to run the generator to power the electric motor in the car is accurate. The mileage does not take into account the fact that I use electricity to charge the batteries in the car. Another thing that is not considered is, we have two wind turbines at the house that generate electricity, so I am really NOT distorting the mileage as much as some people might believe.

DONE...except for asking, got any better ideas? That we can use RIGHT NOW?

Okay, now I really am DONE...

Tomorrow will be another busy day, and Realty Round-Up is on Wednesday. I hope to see you all there.

Deeds, Changes, Actions, MPG's, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

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

Early post today, because I am gonna take it EASY tonight. Fed the bees this morning (pep Hem, I am still feeding, not much in the way of blooms or pollen around here) and then Jody made a great pancake and bacon breakfast. After breakfast, I went out and fed the cattle and took a fresh bale of hay out to them. This is a photo of our youngest, little Miss Victoria (little baby of our first born, Violet). You can see Victoria MIGHT have a little bot of an attitude problem (not sure where she gets that from) since she is sticking her tongue out for the photo. It is either attitude or snot, but I am going with attitude. What do you think?

The chickens are doing nicely, we got three eggs from them today. Not sure if I mentioned that we lost one of the older girls last week. Crazy! One minute they are doing fine, the next minute they are 'legs-up-dead'. Another interesting thing is, both of the Ruby's have died. Both of the Vera's and the Broody's are doing fine. Not sure what to make of that. SO, we are down to only four of the girls that we started with last year (out of six) and the six new girls are all doing well. They should begin to lay about the first of December, and I am really interested in seeing what their blue eggs will look like. Should be fun!

Busy week ahead!

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

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

Honestly, I am not sure if I have had my car washed this year, but I must have somewhere along the way. I am POSITIVE that I have taken it through the Eight Dollar Quarter Car Washes when I have filled up with gas, but not sure about a full service, vacuum out the inside and all that stuff car wash or not. BUT, since I am really happy that the car is clean AND the fact that we stopped at Dairy Queen for spoilers, I just could not resist the photo-op.

I did just about as little as I possibly could today. I got up and did my chores, and fed the bees. Then read the paper and made an egg-pile for me and Jody. Then Jody and I took the boy dog for a ride, and came home and did a little bit more nothing before we went into Georgetown.

When we got home, I went down for a nap, and got up in time to watch a little bit of news (going six days without knowing what is going on in the world is not the worst thing to ever happen to me), and started getting ready to go into Austin.

Our friends John and Susan had invited us over to join them in thanking the 2011 TREPAC Committee of the Austin Board of REALTORS for a job well done. It was a wonderful evening at their beautiful home and we stayed outside in their backyard and watched the sunset and visited with a great group of people.

Now home, put the chickens to bed, and I will be the next to be put to bed. Not sure what tomorrow will bring, but I am ready!

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Ninety Four; FRIDAY...

Did I mention that it is Friday? Did I mention that it is FRIDAY and that I am back home? Did I mention that it is FRIDAY and that I am back home and that I just put the chickens to bed?

WELL, it it FRIDAY, I am back home from the BIG CITY, and I just put the chickens to bed. How you gonna keep em, down on the farm, after they've seen BIG D?

Well, for me it is not really an issue. Home, and I could not really be happier. Well, okay, maybe I could, but I don't know how. Maybe if there was a big vault full of Mercury Head Dimes that I could jump naked into, and waller around in, but other than that, I don't think I could be any happier.

Carrie and I both walked across the stage today at the NARPM Convention in Dallas; Carrie got her RMP Designation and I got my MPM designation. I do not remember how many RMP Designates there are nationwide (I think there about 500) but I do remember Brian saying that, after today, there are 174 MPM Designates in the USA, so I think that puts me in a pretty good group of folks. This is a photo of Carrie, Me and Gail (the CEO of NARPM) just before the awards luncheon. AND, is DESIGNATES the right word? I was trying to use DESIGNEES but spell-check would have no part of it. Hopefully you will figure out what the intent was of that (or those) sentences.

It took me until I got home (not just when I was transferring luggage from Carrie's car to Jody's car) to realize that I left my suit bag at the Hotel (or the bellman forgot to get it out of my room or gave it to someone else). Three suits, a dozen shirts and two pair of pants. BUT, the Hotel has the bag, and my friend Jim will bring it back to Austin tomorrow and I will pick it up tomorrow night. Everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING) works itself out in the end.

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

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

Please be patient and bear with me as I try my VERY BEST to complete this entry without hurting myself or making a fool of myself. It seems there were a few functions this evening that include complimentary alcohol and a bit of food, both in perspective and proportion to my comments.

The photo of the day is entitled 'Still Life with Some kinds of Pies with Fruits', and what you need to remember here is do not make eye contact. It is not easy to go from a banquet room to the 15th floor of a Hotel with eight pieces of pie and look as if it was an everyday occurrence. But, I did my best, and succeeded in the mission.

Today (what I can recall of it right now) was a good one, and so far I have not spilled anything, but there is still time. I just had a piece of the chocolate pie and to be honest, it was not worth all the trouble I went to to smuggle it out of the meeting room. I thought I would have some pie in a 'private moment' but it was really not that good. Now the apple pie, on the other hand, was much more to my liking. Thank you very much.

Tomorrow will be another full day, and we will be leaving and heading back to Austin about 1:30. Wish us luck!

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

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

Well, today was such a bell-ringer that I did not even take a single photo prior to starting this journal entry. I did not leave the Hotel today, and did not do anything exciting. Whether or not I did anything fun is all a matter of opinion. Out of the two classes I attended, one was really good and one was really not THAT good, but not terrible. AND, I did get the opportunity to connect with a bunch of folks that I only get a chance to see one time a year! Really nice!

Well, goodness gracious. Between that last line of text and this one, a lot has happened; 1) I decided to take a photo of he BOX of WINE my friend Leola bought me this afternoon. What a wonderful and kind person she is! I call this 'Still Life with Box o' Wine. 2) I checked the television listings in USAToday and discovered Modern Family will be on shortly. 3) I decided to move my lap-top around on the desk so I could watch the television. 4) In the process, I knocked a full glass of wine off the desk onto the carpet. 5) I called Housekeeping to report the incident. 6) I went through two rolls of toilet paper stomping on the wet carpet, somewhat reminiscent of the I Love Lucy episode where they were stomping grapes in Italy. 7) Two guys from Housekeeping arrived and complimented me on the job of blotting up the wine and offered me a job on the weekends, but I would have to prove residency.

And, now here I sit, relating those events to you, and still pleased that I decided to call it an early night. Hopefully, I have not also purchased a room of carpet for the Hotel, but I am a property manager, and I expect I will be able to get something at cost.

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

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

This is gonna be quick, I have only 10 minutes to get this post completed before midnight. You know what happens when the bell tolls...

I have many more interesting photos that I could post today, but this is one that will get the most action if folks are actually searching words. Dallas Cheerleaders. Dallas Cheerleaders. I might as well write Lady Gaga, just to see who finds the journal based on key word searches.

ANYWAY, I am attending the NARPM annual convention in Dallas, and have met up with LOTS of old friends that I do not see enough; Sue and Craig from the DC area, Beverly from Nashville, Rob from somewhere 'up east' and people that I have met over the years. Even Teresa, my first Broker is here from Austin. She has lots of friends from a while back, and since the convention was close, she decided she might as well stop by, since she was in the neighborhood.

Another full day of classes, then on to Texas Stadium (is that what it is really called) and then on to the Rangers Stadium (is that what it is called) for dinner. I am not really a huge sports fan, but it was fun to visit those places, and it was another first for me.

Four minutes to go...gotta quit, will be better tomorrow (maybe).

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Ninety; Monday...

Well, right this minute I am enjoying a lovely thunderstorm complete with lightning and pretty nice winds. All from the vantage point of my Hotel room in Dallas. Carrie and I just got back from the State Fair (where we delighted in observing everything imaginable that can be fried, not necessarily everything that SHOULD be fried). We never could find the fried Twinkies though.

The day started kind of early this morning, down for breakfast at 7AM, class started at 8AM, lunch at noon, class completed at 3'ish, back in the room for a while, down to the bar at 4:30, off to the State Fair at 6:30.

Whew...

Tomorrow will be much of the same, but there is a structured dinner at 6PM, and it is always a very nice event, and I am looking forward to it. Stay tuned for photos.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Eighty Nine; Sunday...

Except the part about getting stung by a couple of bees (one in my ear-ball) it was a pretty good day. I got up, did my morning chores, and made some breakfast for me and Jody. I went out and took TWO bales of hay to the cattle (to make sure they were alright while I am in Dallas for the week), and gave them all some feed as well. All morning long, bees had been swarming around me, but that is not really too unusual. I cleaned the chicken coop, swept out the garage, and was putting fresh water in the bee fountain, thinking to myself that I was pushing my luck with the bees. Sure enough, for some unknown reason, a bee flew INTO my ear, and that was it for me. No more Mr. Calm and Collected. I was out of there, swatting bees and digging that bee out of my ear. That was all it took, the bee that I was digging out of my ear put out its' 'let's get him' call, and I was done for. Honestly, I was only stung twice, but I have NEVER been stung in my ear before, and it does take some getting used to.

Carrie picked me up about 4:20, and we made it to the Hotel in Dallas by about 7:30. We got settled into our rooms and went downstairs to check out someplace to eat. We ended up eating in the Hotel, and now back in my room.

Class begins tomorrow morning at 8AM, REALLY? We were expecting 9 o'clock, but I did not plan the meeting, so I will show up at 8. Nice thing is, I only have to go downstairs. SWEET!

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Eighty Eight; Saturday...

Not a bad day, even considering that I went into Austin to teach a class. But, other than that, I accomplished as little as possible.

I made it to the Board at about 8:30, only to discover that the security guard had 'forgotten' his keys at home. The exterior doors open automatically, but I am not sure how you can be a 'security' person if you cannot access the property. ANYWAY, we worked around this, and I held the class in a small conference room, and everything worked out just wonderfully.

I got home and Jody and I headed straight back to Georgetown for spoilers at the DQ. Since it is October, they are promoting the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard, and Jody says that is the best combinations of all the flavors. After DQ, we headed to HEB so I could get six bags of sugar so Jody will not run out while I am out of town next week. It is not Jody that goes through all the sugar, it is the bees. We go through a four-pound bag of sugar every day (sometimes more, today it was eight pounds), so we gotta keep the bees happy! Hopefully it will rain once or twice next year, and the bees will be weaned off the sugar syrup. Fingers crossed.

After I took a nap, we watched some local and national news, and then I headed out to the chicken coop. We got five eggs today, which means 1 egg from each of the mature girls, which is good. Our production has never come to a halt, we always get at least one egg, even in the hottest weather. BUT, since it is cooling off some (it was only in the mid-90's today) the girls are producing more. Tomorrow will be a cleaning the chicken coop day, and that will make everyone a happier camper. It has been a while since I took a good photo of the girls, so this one is pretty interesting. The main focus of this photo is 'Broody One Feather', and the name is a long story, but you are welcome to ask if you are really interested. She loves to talk, and she will share the whole story with you.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Eighty Seven; Friday...

Another passing of a Friday, with no big whoops. There was potential for whoops, but the whoops were drowned out by the challenges of cell phone hell. I got to the AT&T store at 6:30 this morning, what I considered to be quite a reasonable and civilized hour. I was the fourth person in line, and I thought that was extra fabulous. By 8 o'clock when they let us in the doors, there were probably about 30 people in line, nothing like what it could have been.

Everything went swell until I left the store and made my first call. I called Jody and told him I now had a phone that would actually transmit my voice to another telecommunications receiver, and I asked him to call me back to make sure the phone would ring correctly. He said he would be happy to, but it would be a minute. Twenty minutes passed, and I realized he had not called back. I reached for my phone, and it would not do anything, it was dead, and I was not going to turn around. I had appointments, and I am not going to go into the gory details, but it was after 1 o'clock when I got a phone that worked...

Then, I tried to sync the phone with my computer, and that would not work. Long story short, I had to call an IT guy to go through all the error messages (many of which it seems are not uncommon) and finally got my phone MOSTLY synced up, but it will be a work in progress for at least a week or two. There is at least one feature on the phone (SIRI) that I really like, and I have even been able to make it work. Not bad for an old geezer!

Teaching a short class at the Board of REALTORS tomorrow, and then resting. Packing and leaving for Dallas for a week, and resting more.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Eighty Six; Thursday...

All things considered (and some of them best left forgotten) I had a really great day today. I attended the final sessions of the Board Officer Leadership Conference hosted by the Texas Association of REALTORS, and it was great, enlightening, inspiring and entertaining. It is truly wonderful to learn while you are laughing, and that is really hard to do. Congratulations to everyone that had a part in this conference, it was a job REALLY well done.

I want to share this photo with you , even though it is a photo that was taken yesterday. I did not notice any INCREDIBLE clouds in the sky today, although I guess when you think about it, all clouds are miracles. But I think this cloud was really pretty enough to hold over for another day.

I am on track for a really good result from this tank of gasoline. Almost 1,100 miles and just over four gallons of gas to achieve that. Every time I start bragging about my mileage, I jinx it and cannot find a way to charge the car for the life of me. We shall see.

My phone (I think) has some loose wires in it, so I am (probably) going to go and stand in line for hours tomorrow to get a new cell phone. I really do not care about the new (whatever) iPhone, I just need a phone that will transmit my voice to those calling me, or those that I am calling. Stay tuned.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Eighty Five; Wednesday...

Test time. When is the last time I talked about what a lucky man I am? I hope it was yesterday, or recently anyway. Because I am (honestly) the luckiest person in the world. Jody will argue sometimes that HE is the luckiest person, but it is really me. I am the luckiest person in the world. The reason is (well, one of the MANY reasons, anyway), no matter how often you might think you hear me complain about being over scheduled, I actually do make time to stop and appreciate the beauty that is all around me.

This afternoon, on the way home, I could have taken hundreds of photos of the clouds. If you have followed this journal for a while, you know I think clouds are one of the most overlooked (and taken for granted) pieces of beauty that we do not have to pay an admission to see. Lovely. How many pounds (or tons, or elephants) do you think the clouds weigh. What is the water content (in gallons) of a cloud? There is no hard and fast rule to the best of my knowledge, but I like to think of elephants in terms of clouds. A good cloud ought to weigh at least as much as one or two average sized elephants. AND the sky was FULL of them this afternoon.

...and then...AND THEN I got home and Jody asked me if I had paid attention to the rain lillies that were blooming next to the driveway. I did not notice them when I was coming in (because I WAS paying attention to six young chicks HAULING ASS to get away from my car). BUT, after dinner, I went out and took a few photos to share with you. Another example of just some of the beauty that I (we) am (are) surrounded by on a daily basis. Next time you see something purty, stop for a second and appreciate it.

You are welcome.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, PURTY ALL AROUND, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2011 - Day Two Hundred EIghty Four; Tuesday...

No way. Impossible. There is no way that could happen, but it did. I was about to go into total denial, because I could not find the charger to my digital camera battery. Obviously I do not have enough tragedy and problems in my life, the fact that I could not find my camera battery charger was a major challenge to me. I ALWAYS keep it in the same place, and I ALWAYS put it back in that same place EVERY TIME. Except for maybe the last time. AND I MUST HAVE MY CAMERA CHARGED, because tomorrow is going to be a day full of photo opportunities. So, what have I learned from this? I am the luckiest man in the world, who has no more severe problems than the fact that he cannot find a contraption to charge the battery of his frickin' digital camera. I am the luckiest man in the world.

Now that everything has been put back into perspective (which means I found the charger) we return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

I got into the office a bit later than usual this morning (keeping true to my vow to try and stay in bed a little later), but was still there in time to take care of business that needed to be tended to before I headed off to the Hyatt and the Texas Association of REALTORS TREPAC training and Board Officer Leadership Training (which will be tomorrow). SO, three (really two-and-a-half) days of training, then some power real estate, and then a trip to Dallas.

So, that also means three days of Hotel Banquet facility lunches, and they are not terrible, lucky for me that I am not a gourmand. The pie was interesting, and I named my pie Lance, and if you want to know why I named it Lance, you can ask my friend and table-mate Terry. He will happily share it with you.

We had an afternoon of information about TREPAC, rules and regulations, fund raising ideas, major investment reward information and lots of networking.

Afterwards, we headed outside to see the NAR bus that is travelling across the country, promoting home ownership. I went inside the bus just to check it out, I lover that kind of stuff, and sorrily discovered that the way in was also the way out, and there was just a bit of a blockage of folks. SO, I made my way off the bus, and headed home.

The good thing is (and I have to hand it to the HYATT for this) they called me a couple weeks ago, and asked me if I would be attending the meetings, and if I would be bringing my plug-in vehicle, and would I need access to a charger. GOOD JOB. So, that was EXCELLENT, and I will not forget it. I will be back there tomorrow and Thursday, and my orange cone is holding my space for me.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Eighty Three; Monday...

So far, so good. For a Monday. I am still a little bit tired, but I recovered nicely from my eighty-hour-week last week. I am kind of thinking I am getting too old for this stuff, 24/7 stuff that is.

I got into a cleaning binge in my office when I arrived this morning. I may do some more this afternoon. Just look how neat and tidy this corner of my office looks. Pretty neat, clean and organized, huh? Just do not look inside any of the drawers or cabinets. It is like Fibber McGee & Mollies!

I THOUGHT I had a lunch appointment this afternoon, but I got my wires crossed, and it was supposed to be tomorrow, EXCEPT I will not be able to have lunch tomorrow because I have meetings all day (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday). Then I am back in the office for a day, then it is the weekend, and then Carrie and I are heading off to Dallas. WHOOPEE! And my friend Al got us an upgrade at the Hotel, so we will be living LARGER than usual!

For Holiday, traffic was sure acting a lot like any other Monday. I stopped on the way home and picked up some chili from Wendy's for dinner tonight. I don't care who you are, Wendy's makes some good chili. I am not a good Texan, in that I like beans in my chili. Other than that...

Jody and I sat out on the porch tonight after dinner, and the moon is not supposed to be full 'officially' until Wednesday, but it is big, bright and beautiful tonight. Lots of purty on the edge of nowhere, and as always, nothing to get in the way of us seeing it all.

I am vowing to stay in bed later tomorrow, and I am trying to discipline myself to start out a little bit later in the mornings. I will see how long that lasts.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, FULL MOON ALMOST, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2011 - Day Two Hundred Eighty Two; Sunday...

I accomplished most of everything I wanted to accomplish today, which was pretty much nothing at all. We did get some rain overnight, and into the late morning hours, so that was excellent. We got about an inch-and-three-quarters, so that is like a miracle. We now are only about 20 inches short on our annual rainfall. We were led to believe that it would rain more tonight and tomorrow, but no such luck. This is an actual photo of MUD on my boots. I did not even wear my good boots out to the pastures this morning, wore my old boots so I would not need to worry about the mud and water.

I moved the cattle to the other pasture this morning, took a look in both the tanks. There was a little bit of water in each one of them, including the new tank the Jody (not that Jody, the other Jody) built for us earlier in the summer. So, hopefully before the end of the year, we will get some more rain, and we will be able to see if the tanks are gonna hold water. I expect they will.

One very nice thing this morning was, I did not have to make any decisions about what I would give water to, and what I would deprive of water, thereby saying, 'Well, I guess it is time for you to die. Nice try, but your time is up.' No watering needed today, tomorrow and hopefully most of the week. High temperatures are expected to be in the high 80's, but I do not trust that to be accurate either.

Compared to this week, the coming week should be rather calm and quiet. Teaching a class next Saturday, and then on Sunday Carrie and I will be heading to Dallas for a week.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Eighty One; Saturday...

I do not intend to confuse anyone, but today is actually FRIDAY, and if you were paying attention to the blog entry from yesterday, you know it is because yesterday was a 'lower-case' friday, because I was teaching all day today, and my abbreviated weekend did not commence until NOW!

It was a good class, but by the end of the day, everyone was DRAGGING. But I expect everyone did really well on the exam portion of the class, and I know for certain that everyone in the class learned good and valuable information, and that they thought the weeks worth of instruction was helpful and worthwhile. This is a photo of the class participants, easier to take this kind of photo than trying to get permission from everyone to use their image on the site.

It is interesting what you can find when you pick something up off the floor. While everyone was taking their test, I was just walking around, and I picked this little device up off the floor. Who knew that you could get a patent on a 'Gender Changer', and for that matter, who knew that you could (obviously) go and pick one up at Radio Shack? I thought it would be a lot more difficult, but obviously you just put $5.95 on your Visa, and away you go, changing from a baritone to a soprano with little or no effort. Chaz Bono could have saved himself a lot of effort and aggravation (not to mention the insurance deductible) if he had known this. Technology, changing the way we live. I wonder if this would qualify you as 'digitally-gender-bent'? I need to quit this and go on to the next topic of conversation.

During the late part of the class, we actually got a little bit of rain. FaceBook pages are blossoming with observations of the rain, but here on the edge of nowhere, we just got a little bitty sprinkling of rain. BUT, when I left the Board, there was still a little bit of rain falling, enough that I could get this photo of rain on the windshield. My friend Chris said last week that he drove through a brief shower, and could not remember how to turn his windshield wipers on; I thought that was cute, but this evening, I had the same trouble. Alas, after I took the photo, I figured it out, and the windshield was cleared of the precious precipitation.

Going to bed now, thanks...

Deeds, Actions, Changes, RAIN IN THE FORECAST, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2011 - Day Two Hundred Eighty; friday...

friday is purposely in lower case, because this friday dies not count. My FRIDAY does not really start this week until Saturday, because I will be teaching tonight until 10 o'clock and all day tomorrow, so my weekend will be abbreviated, therefore there is not going to be a FRIDAY celebration, and there will be minimal mention of friday, PERIOD.

My day began this morning at the Board of REALTORS speaking to a group of newly licensed REALTORS. There were almost 100 newly licensed agents joining the Board, and they always have lots of questions about protocols and procedures. My friend Aaron and I tag-teamed, Aaron spoke about Governmental Affairs and I talked about TREPAC. During the presentation, everyone in attendance got TREPAC Easy-Buttons, and for a short while there was a cacophony of button-pushing and message playing. Pretty fun. This is a photo of me with Investors Ari, Cheri and Clive at the orientation. Thanks to everyone for supporting TREPAC!

Just as I was beginning this paragraph, which is/was going to be about how it has been hazy and overcast all day, the sun decided to break through, and right now it is as purty as a picture here in Austin. There is a chance of rain today, tomorrow and they are saying we are DEFINITELY going to have rain on Sunday. Perfect, that will be even more reason for me to do as little as possible on Sunday, except of course, there will be a trip to Georgetown to visit the Dairy Queen. COME ON RAIN, bless its' heart!

Okay, finally home after class, and on the verge of self-medicating. One more day of class, looking forward to finishing, not because of the class or the attendees, just that it has made for really long days, and it is kind of tiring. In fact, I am really enjoying the class and the participation of the folks in the class, I am just not as young as I used to be.

Of course, tomorrow is a full day of class, and all I can think about is what are we going to have for lunch. Sometimes I am more consumed by what I am going to consume than other times. I think just the fact that the doors to the building will be closed at 1 PM is having an effect on me. We will all need to figure out how to come and go from the building without locking ourselves our or in.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Seventy Nine; Thursday...

It is ALMOST Friday, close, but not quite. I did not have a chance to do any of my journal entry before getting home from another late night of instruction, but that is okay, I can adapt.

Before I left for the office this morning, I took two fresh buckets of molasses out to the cattle. Jody had taken the truck into Taylor on Tuesday and picked them up for me, and I took the truck out to the pastures this morning and deposited them for the cattle. They really like the molasses, and it is good for them. It got quite a bit of attention from the cattle, wondering what I was doing out there so early. BUT, they were happy to have the fresh buckets.

It was grey and really kind of overcast for much of the morning, and that was okay with me. I do not know what the temperatures rose to during the day, but right now it in the high 70's and the humidity has really risen. The winds are pretty strong and from the south as well, and the brass fittings on the rope at the flagpole are clanging up against the pols, and it is pretty darned aggravating. We could close the windows and turn on the air conditioner, but that would be an aggravation of a different source. With the winds as brisk as they are, we might even have a net zero day of electrical usage. Fingers crossed.

My friend Roy stopped in the office today to say hello, and it was really great to see him. I am not really sure if I have seen him this entire year or not, and this year is almost over. We had a nice visit, and talked a lot about this and that. He asked if I wanted to go and have some lunch, but I had already made another lunch commitment, so maybe next time.

I remembered to avoid the downtown area for most of the day, but on my way to the Board of REALTORS, I forgot and drove right past City Hall, where the very polite (seemingly) protesters were demonstrating against the Wall Street folks. I have to admit, I have been too busy to really keep up with this particular segment of dissatisfaction, but I get the feeling from the lack of civil defiance that it is not that popular of a movement here in Austin. Another day, another cause.

Tired. Sleepy, all the usual stuff. BUT, I get to leave even later tomorrow morning. I am once again going straight to the Board, and I do not even need to be there until 10 o'clock.

Can you say 'snoozy-doo'?

Deeds, Actions, Changes, SNOOZY-DOO, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2011 - Day Two Hundred Seventy Eight; Wednesday...

This is a photo of the sunrise this morning. Beautiful! As I have said, there is not too much that gets in the way of us seeing glorious things out on the edge of nowhere, and we are better off for it!

Okay, another day has come and gone. Well, not quite yet, but almost. I am still trying to write my entries BEFORE I get home, because (as you can tell from the last paragraph in last nights entry) it is much safer to do that.

SO, I slept in a little while longer again this morning, and headed straight into the Board this morning. Our company was doing sponsoring a break for one of the education classes, and I was also attending a Governmental Affairs Committee Meting.

I made it to the office at about noon, and conducted about an hour and a half of power real estate, and headed back to the Board for a 2 o'clock Broker Forum. AND, that lasted until about 4 o'clock, and there is no reason for me to go anywhere, since the class starts at 6 o'clock. I love what I do...

Unfortunately, there is not a lot of news in my world, nothing I can talk about anyway. I am a lucky man, and that is the main thing. I have a wonderful life, and I do not spread that joy around enough.

Okay, more later...prepare yourselves...

Well, I am home, and it is not quite 11 o'clock. I am timing myself to see how long I have before I become totally dysfunctional. As I remember it, it should not take too long. First the fingers become really sausage like, then the mind turns to a kind of a mushy puddle of nonsense and non-caring. Spell check is rendered useless, and is a goodly part of my motor skills and common sense. It looks as if I may actually get this post completed without making a total fool of myself. Congratulations to me. The theory of quitting while I am ahead in this situation is what needs to be remembered.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Seventy Seven; Tuesday...

It seems, and this would make perfectly good sense, that the later I leave the house to drive into Austin, the more traffic congestion there is, and the higher the number of traffic accidents and delays. I hope that I will find the 'sweet spot' of traffic, and I could start leaving the house later and getting to the office at the same time. Kind of like crossing the International Date Line backwards and ending up at my destination before I left. It makes perfectly good sense to me!

SO, since I did not get home until almost 11 o'clock last night, I made a strong effort not to get up until a reasonable hour this morning. 6 o'clock was about as long as I could stay in bed. Which meant I left the house about 8 o'clock, and got into the office about 9:15 or so. More hay going down the Interstate, and I don't know about you, but I hope the straps on this load do not snap before it gets where it is going. At one point I was travelling alongside it, and I was kind of encroaching into my space, and it made me a little bit claustrophobic. Whatever...

Prepped some more this morning for my class tonight, needed to make a few changes in the presentation. I am happy with the changes I am making, still instructing the material, but happier with the way I will be delivering it. Now it will be important to see if the class is happier with the delivery of the content. We shall see, but I expect it will all be good.

On the way into the Board this afternoon, I will be stopping at CostCo, one of my favorite things in the world to do. Mainly just getting commissary supplies for the house, coffees and things like that. CostCo is always fun though.

I will finish this entry later tonight when I get home from class.

OKAY I AM HOME, AND THIS IS MUH NRE DIFFICUT THAT I WOULD HAVE EPECTED, sOMEONE HAS HAD TOO UCH TO DRINK AND IT IS NO T PRETY,

fEEDS, FTIONS, cHANGES, cHANGES, hAPPINESS, kINDNESSES, wHIRLED pEAS, fun!

2011 - Day Two Hundred Seventy Six; Monday...

I am not sure if I will be able to keep this up for an entire week, but my goal is to have my entries 'publish ready' during the day, so when I get home (and start my wine) all I will need to do is update and publish. I am teaching night classes all this week, which means my class will not end until 10 o'clock, an hours drive home and the winding down will make it mid-night. AND you all know what happens when I am tired and logged-onto the Internet. SO, I am going to try to avoid embarrassing you (really how much more could I embarrass myself) by having things pretty much done before I get home.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS when I try to act like a 'normal' person. I did not leave the house until 6:30 this morning, and traffic was backed up for miles and miles and miles. There was a wreck (really did not look that bad by the time I got to it which was actually sometime tomorrow) but it was really a nightmare. Of course, just like standing in line at the Post Office and the Bank, by the time it was my turn to pass by, I took my good sweet time and rubber-necked like an old pro. PLUS, I had to take the photo. What of it???

I have everything ready for my class this evening and the rest of the week. It should be a good class. I have heard there are ten folks in the class, so I hope everyone (me included) will learn some interesting new stuff. Keep your fingers crossed. This is the first time I have taught this class, and this is the first time it has been offered in Austin, so by the end of the week, everyone should be comfortable! Fingers crossed!

Well and now we (that would really mean ME) are back. Class has been completed, and tomorrow is yet another day. Fer cryin' out loud, it is really difficult to type when you have had a bit (just a little bit) of the fruit of the vine prior to beddy-by time). Typing is very difficult, it seems like my precious little digits are heavy like an I don't know what. so i think it would be best for me to simply cut my losses and save my more important missives to be displayed tomorrow or another day. what say ye? All in favor say aye...those opposed no... the ayes have it.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Seventy Five; Sunday...

Well, I am ready for the first five days of my class, and I have five days to get ready for the sixth day. No problem. It will be a great series of classes, and I am looking forward to it.

Did I also mention that I sent my 2010 Income Tax stuff to my CPA last week. Quite a few accomplishments if I do say so myself! Yippee-Skippee!

It was a beautiful day here on the edge of nowhere. I stayed in bed pretty late for me, but when I finally got up, I did the morning chores, and then read the paper and and a couple cups of coffee. The next thing on the list was to feed the cattle and take them fresh hay. It was not hot, but very nice, and everyone (cattle included) seemed to be enjoying the day.

This is a picture of the first blooms of the Hyacinth Bean plant that John and Susan gave us. We named this particular plant 'Pops' in honor of John's father that loved these plants. I especially like them as well, they are easy to grow, somewhat prolific and the blooms are beautiful. With the cooler weather, things are blooming again, and even the poor, pitiful morning glories are doing better.

Time for bed.

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

2011 - Day Two Hundred Seventy Four; Saturday...

I went to San Antonio today to work with some friends who are moving there, and wanted to put in an offer on a to-be-built home. A really wonderful day, and the home they want to purchase is beautiful. Interesting how much more you can get for your dollar in San Antonio (or pretty much anywhere else for that matter) than you can here in Austin. Congratulations to them, and I will let you in on more details as things progress!

It was also interesting to see flat-beds full of hay going both ways on the Interstate. This batch of hay (there were two identical loads) were heading south, but I also saw loads headed north on the way back. We could really use some rain, and this is really precious cargo.

Once I got home, Jody and I piled up in his car and headed to Georgetown for spoilers at Dairy Queen. Which means, no dinner for either one of us. Personally, I have just finished a little nap, and am going through my first glass of wine. Then it will be time for the girls to be put to bed, and then it will be time for me to put myself to bed.

Tomorrow is going to be pretty much a day of doing as little as possible. I am done saying I am going to do 'nothing' and I will just settle for 'as little as possible'. That will include feeding the cattle, taking them a fresh bale of hay, some other minor efforts, and then I am going to get finished preparing for the classes I will be teaching next week.

Simple.

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