2012 - Day 091/275 - Saturday...

It is kind of hard to imagine that this is the last day of March already. We are done with the first quarter, just three more quarters to go and then what?

Jody and I took a drive this morning so the dog could have something to bark at. We came upon a couple really pretty fields of wildflowers. There are LOTS more Bluebonnets this year than there were last year, and that is always lovely. PLUS, there was a really pretty field of poppies, so close your eyes and pretend you are in the Wizard of Oz.

We went into Georgetown TWICE today, once for spoilers and to buy some bougainvilleas to put in a wheel barrel at the circle, and then later this afternoon to get some more 2 x 6's for more walkway; this time connecting the patio to the other deck walkway. It will give me something to do tomorrow.

Jody's birthday is also tomorrow, and we will head into Georgetown to have lunch with our friends Lynda and Michael. I also expect we will stop by HEB on the way home to pick up a couple more plants. We have no idea what they are, but they were a beautiful purple color, and they will look nice at the front door.

My friend Steve is a rider (once again) for the Hill Country Ride for AIDS. The Hill Country Ride for AIDS is an annual cycling event that rolls through beautiful Central Texas. Riders and volunteers provide life saving support for thousands of Central Texans living with HIV/AIDS by raising money for 10 local nonprofit organizations. It’s a Ride, not a race, and the riders choose the distance that best suites them up to 100 miles. So far, Steve has raised over $4,300 and his goal is $5,000. This is the link to Steve's Fundraising page:

http://www.hillcountryride.org/site/TR/HillCountryRideforAIDS/General?px=1149261&pg=personal&fr_id=1120

If you get a chance, click on the link and donate a couple hundred dollars (okay or a couple dollars) to help him out. These riders are TRUE HEROES, and Steve is very deserving of your support. AND, your donations are tax deductible (enter disclaimer here).

It will make you feel good to make a donation, so go ahead, and tell him Billy Bob sent you!

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

2012 - Day 090/276 - Friday...

Can you see me dancing? It's Friday, and this is my happy dance entry.

I had ALMOST more fun today than money could buy. I say ALMOST because I actually did but it! I bought an obscene amount of Mega-Millions tickets today, a whole sh*t-pile of them were just $1 single tickets. I then proceeded to pass them out to people I saw here and there. You should have seen the smiles on every ones faces as they all dreamed of what they would do with the money. It was the cheapest and most fun I have had in a really long time. I can guarantee you one thing, if I win, my calendar will become suddenly clear, and there will be lots of happiness spread around. First stop will be a financial planner...

Tomorrow will be a sleeping-in kind of day, but there is plenty of stuff to do around her...unless I win the big bucks, and then I think I will have the whole place paved. We shall see...

Deeds, Actions, Changes, MEGA-BUCKS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2012 - Day 089/277 - Thursday...

It was a day full of power real estate doins' and goins' on. Got into the office right at 8 o'clock, and I was on the phone most of the morning. Got one property listed before our 9 o'clock Property Management meeting (which did not start until 9:15) and that was all good.

I left to go deliver my Meals-On-Wheels route about 10:40 which is actually a little bit late for me, but I was back in the office by about Noon. I had eight clients on my route today, and that is always a pleasant task. The rest of the day was kind of a blur, but I did have a conference call at 2 o'clock, and I made about six or eight calls to clients to ask questions or try to help make some decisions.

In the middle of that, I got an Amendment to one of my sales contracts completed, extending the closing date by a week. That seems to be getting more and more common here. Not sure if the lenders (mortgage brokers) are making promises they cannot keep because they want to get the business, or if REALTOR Brokers are negotiating contracts on behalf of their clients are are impossible to comply with. It may be a combination of the two; the REALTORS may make unreasonable demands, and then the mortgage brokers fall in step, but are then blamed for not producing. Feel free to express our opinions.

There are other things blooming out this way other than the Iris. This is a really pretty rose in front of the garage. I looked for some of the very dark rust colored Iris or some of the Burnt Orange Iris, but there don't seem to be any of them blooming yet. The really dark ones look almost black in photos, but they are a very dark brownish color. Really pretty.

Tune in tomorrow when you will hear me say IT'S FRIDAY AND THIS IS MY HAPPY DANCE!

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

2012 - Day 088/278 - Wednesday...

I guess this is hump day, and I am ready to crash. And it is still daylight outside, and that means I cannot quit AT LEAST until I put the girls to bed.

Carol, this one is for you, and we can do a bulb swap, or you can just come and dig some up sometime! This photo has something for most (if not everyone)! Nice shot of Iris with a few little rain drops on them, and hula girls. Who can complain about that? It did rain a bit in Austin, but nothing more than a trace I would expect, but when I got home, we have over a half-inch in the gauge. Very nice.

Modern Family is on in a little while, so I have to be all snugly before that starts.

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

2012 - Day 087/279 - Tuesday...

The sunrise did not disappoint this morning, and it was the precursor of a really nice day!

I went to my first appointment this morning at the Austin Board of REALTORS. I made a TREPAC presentation to REALTY AUSTIN, and their agents were very welcoming and made investments totalling $1,605. That now puts them in third place (total dollars invested in 2012 Fiscal Year) as a firm, and I do not think we have heard the last of them for investing in TREPAC. Many thanks to Sonny for arranging this and to the Boatwright's for such a positive experience today.

After that, it was into the office to get some work done. Tomorrow will be a long day of meetings and doing lots of hard work.

Once I got home this afternoon, it was a pleasure to walk up in front of the property to see the Iris blooms and all the things going on around here that make this a really nice spring season. Last night we saw Venus and Jupiter not far from the moon, and we are looking forward to that again tonight. It is nice to be sitting out here on the porch working on this entry, watching chickens pass by, and being able to wonder at the clouds in the sky. Not much between us and forever...

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

2012 - Day 086/280 - Monday...

WARNING! If you go to a new hair dresser, and your hair stands up for more than four hours, you should immediately consult a beautician. I'm just sayin...AND don't say I didn't warn you...

In hind site, maybe putting on the bee suit should have occurred before I started cutting the grass around the hives. That is kind of like saying 'maybe we should have quit marching band BEFORE the parade, not DURING the parade'. At any rate, I think that in the future, I will cut the grass around the hives in the early mornings, instead of in the late afternoons. Live and learn...

And, did you know, gnats in you glass of wine CAN swim against the tide? It's true.

A GREAT day today, I hope you all had a good one as well.

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

2012 - Day 085/281 - Sunday...

I once again confirmed what I thought I had confirmed last weekend. I am too old for all this crap. I pretty much worked out in the yard from sunup (not really) to sundown (not really) BUT, things are looking better. It is amazing what a little tenacity can do, along with some good help. This week I am going to need to call someone in to take out some trees. The drought last year really did a number on many of the trees that were around Aunt Mary's house. They were really crappy trees (hackberries mostly) but they were trees and gave some shade in the front of the property. I was telling Jody we need to put in some of those fast growing trees but he figures they need a lot of water, so that may not be the best idea. Whatever happens, we will need to put in a few trees to replace the six or seven that need to come out.

Here is another photo of some of the Iris that are blooming. Very pretty. Jody and I just came in off the front porch, and there is a platoon of gnats floating around on the top of my wine, but really, no sense in wasting a good glass of wine, and if there is any justice in the world, maybe the gnats are a good source of protein. Even if they are not, they are going down the gullet.

This week coming looks like a pretty sane and calm one, but that can change at any minute. I hope you all had a nice weekend, and are looking forward to a nice week.

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

2012 - Day 084/282 - Saturday...

I need to find out if Randy and Irene's renters have an orange cat. We have been seeing an orange cat around the house for the last several months, and I have always been a little bit concerned that it would start messing with the chickens. It does not look hungry, in fact it is not really skinny at all. BUT, tonight as I was putting the girls to bed (and I was a little bit late doing it) the cat ran out of the chickens yard. I don't know if it was in the coop or not and the girls were not fussing, but it was definitely at least in their fences in cage outside the coop.

SO, that means it is between me and this cat now...

Yellow Iris for your enjoyment...

It was a very nice day today, I did little if anything productive around the house. Of course, we did go into Georgetown and we did stop at Dairy Queen for spoilers, and we did stop at Home Depot to buy a new microwave and we did stop at WalMart to get gas in the truck and gas cans and diesel in the diesel tanks. $180 later (just for the gas and diesel), we were headed home, where we could not get the new microwave to work. Customer service instructed us to make sure the door to the unit was 'securely fastened' which really means you have to SLAM the door, but it worked just fine after that. If you have any frustrations during the day, just warm up some coffee in the microwave, and it will all be better.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, SLAM THE DOOR, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2012 - Day 083/283 - FRIDAY...

It is definitely not my birthday, and I should know because I was there. But really, I have slept since then, and I really do not have a clear recollection of my birthday. I really don't remember things that far back, and, well hell, I really do not remember that much of the seventies either. BUT, I do know for sure that today is not the day that I customarily have chosen to celebrate as my birthday. Taking all that into consideration, I am not really sure why so many of my FaceBook friends chose today to send me birthday greetings. It is a mystery, but, okay...

Yesterday was a pretty good day (as I have previously reported), but I forgot to mention that my greatest accomplishment of the day was to cut my fingernails. Why is it that such a mundane chore is one that gets put off for such a long time. As I was trimming said fingernails, I considered the fact that, you cannot multi-task when you are cutting your fingernails. NOPE, that is one thing that takes a serious bit of concentration. I guess you could do one or two more things while you were cutting your fingernails, but you probably would not complete those things very well.

Whatever...

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

2012 - Day 082/284 - Thursday...

And now for something completely different..

IT is 10:30 AT NIGHT and I just got home. I have not taken my self-medication, so this entry should be somewhat coherent. My first appointment this morning was at 7AM and my last appointment was at 7PM and I am just now home. Long but rewarding day.

There are not that many places (maybe there are and I just don't know about them) that have 'Blue Balls' on the menu. I have heard of lots of other interesting menu items (I am 60 for goodness sake), but it is also a fact that I am not really that adventurous when it come to culinary temptations. BUT, I did fall for this, and it was pretty good. Feel free to ask me about it when you see me, but for now, I am going to bed.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, BALLS o BLUE, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2012 - Day 081/285 - Wednesday...

So, what shall it be? Pictures of Iris blooms or pictures of chickens? Why not both?

Today was a good day all things considered. I actually got up a little bit later than usual, but I still got to the office close to 8 o'clock. Traffic is certainly back in full swing after being lulled into the false sense of security with Spring Break last week, but the afternoon traffic was as bad as ever with South By Southwest in town. They are gone...oh happy day!

My big chicken girl Vera is quite the photogenic chicken. She loves the attention and the petting, and she also likes to wort the dog and of course the dog cowers whenever the chickens invade his space because we scolded him one tome, so now he knows he cannot have a canine response to the chickens, lest he get reprimanded again. That was quite a long sentence...

Anyway, Vera loves to come and hang out with us on the porch, and that is fun. Tomorrow is going to be a long day, so I need to go and try to get some sleep. My first meeting is at 7 o'clock in the morning, and my last meeting is at 7 o'clock in the evening, and so I will not get home until about 9 o'clock tomorrow night (if I am lucky).

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

2012 - Day 080/286 - Tuesday...

Honestly, I do not understand how it can rain for 6 hours straight (I mean torrential rains) with massive thunder and lightning, the power flashes off twice (remains out for only a few seconds), the weather alarm radio goes off every hour without fail warning of flash floods and the second-coming, and I go out this morning and there is just over two and a half inches of rain in the gauge. How is that possible?

Everyone survived, including the dog. We are firm believers in the ThunderShirt. If you have a dog that is freaked out by thunder and lightning, go get him/her/it a ThunderShirt. It really reduces the anxiety, so much so that the next time we have a bad storm, I might let the dog wear it. I'm just sayin...

A good day today, and it is now dark outside which means I need to be in bed soon. Gonna try to make up for some lost time. This is a picture, not so much of the sunset tonight, but just a shot across the fields towards our neighbors. Very pretty. It is a cool night, the air is crisp, and it is overall just a wonderful night out in the country. The girls are in bed, and I think that is not such a bad idea.

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

2012 - Day 079/287 - Monday...

This photo pretty much says it all, although that is really a lie. The day was not nothing, it was just nothing to take a photograph of. So I didn't...

Mostly a day spent in the office, clearing the desk of things. Good accomplishments. After the weekend, I was pretty tired, so I could use the rest.

I did get up about 2 o'clock to go to CostCo, where I had some lunch and promptly proceeded to drop my iPhone into a great smarmy glob of ketchup. Does not seem to have changed the ability to take or make phone calls, but it does smell better than it did.

We are looking for some pretty strong storms tonight and into tomorrow. High winds, 2 to 5 inches of rain (up to seven inches in some areas) and the possibility of tornadoes. We are ready, so I am sure we will be fine. IT is like renters insurance; if you have it, you won't need it.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, NOTHING, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2012 - Day 078/288 - Sunday...

What I need to remember is, I am an old man. I know, I know, everyone says that sixty is the new forty, but today I am understanding that sixty is sixty, and I don't care what anyone says. I am not 59 any more! I am 60!

It was a full and busy day, and I will not bore you with all the things that were accomplished today. It is enough that you know that I was not stung a single time by any of the bees, and that my purchases yesterday of machinery of mass weed distraction worked wonderfully well. If there were only more days available to get things around her under control, that would be great. I am really not interested in more hours in a day...there are enough hours in a day, dark still happens whenever it happens. I just need more days.

SO, Miguel came out today along with his brother-in-law Horacio, and (among other things) they got the walk way to the shelter installed, and my plan was ALMOST perfect. Whatever... Anyway, it is down, and I hope we NEVER need to use it in a real emergency. But at least it is there, and we have it if we need it. We are supposed to have pretty intense storms tomorrow, so just in case you can't find us, LOOK IN THE SHELTER. Not sure if the cell phone will work in there or not, but that is where we will be.

We did (of course, was there any doubt) make it into Georgetown for spoilers, and it was good. A quick trip to Home Depot was next, and then we were back home. I trimmed the weeds around the electric fence line out in the back pastures, and I cannot understand why the electric fence is not 'hot'. There were no shorts as best I could tell, and I walked (and whacked) the entire fence Ines, so there should not be any 'impedance' in the lines. I will take another look at it as soon as it quits raining. Not that it is raining right now, it is just supposed to rain for the next three days, and we are already under a flash flood watch through Tuesday (I think) and there are chances of tornadoes, which is why I wanted to get the walkway in today. We live just seven miles from Jarrell, the little Texas town that was wiped off the map about a decade ago, so tornadoes are not uncommon up here where we live. AND, I figure that if I go to all that trouble, we will never need to use it.

Vera (Little Vera that is, Big Vera disappeared about a month or so ago) is absolutely my favorite of all the chickens, and she knows it. She follows me around, and waits for me to put them all to bed, and runs out of the coop so I can carry her back in. Chickens are interesting people! When I got them a couple years ago, I had no idea how much fun they would be. They are just like having more Chihuahuas, just with feathers. The cattle are kind of like BIG Chihuahuas, but with horns. There are all kinds of Chihuahuas in the world, some big, some small, some with feathers, some without.

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

2012 - Day 077/289 - Saturday...

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Or BOO! This photo actually qualifies as a tribute to the Irish, or something scary you would ordinarily see at Halloween or a zombie flick. So, this photo is kind of a multiple-choice opportunity, and you may make your own interpretation of it. Enjoy!

I taught a class this morning at the Board of REALTORS, and all was good. Even though there were only six folks in the class, it was a fun and rewarding class, there was lots of opinions and knowledge exchanged. AND, the attendees ranged from long term license holders to a man who has been licensed for only six months. A great mix. AND we raised $270 for TREPAC while we were at it...

When I got home, I had to attend to a couple e-mails, and then Jody and I headed into Georgetown. Dairy Queen was the first stop, and then it was on to Home Depot where I hemorrhaged money buying mechanical weapons of mass distraction to go forward in the fight against weeds and their offspring. I bought a new lawnmower (for the detail work around the edges and things that the riding lawnmower and/or the shredder cannot get to. I also bought a 'walk behind' trimmer, kind of like a weed-whacker on steroids. All of it is still in the back of the truck, where it will stay until Miguel comes by tomorrow. Then the weeds had better watch out. The big trimmer is more of a thing to trim around the fence lines and stuff like that; too much for the ordinary $100 weed-whackers. I have been going through one or two of those each year, so I am going to see how this 'big-gun' thing works out. If I am not hospitalized by it tomorrow, I will let you know how it goes.

When we got home, I went down for a nap, and after a little while, I went out to survey stuff. Found the first Iris bloom of the season outside the garage. It is a beauty and there are lots of others around that are pretty well just bursting to bloom. It will (or at least should) be a good spring for blooms around here. I think Jody and I are going to make a pilgrimage to the Willow City Loop in about a month to see what the wild flowers are doing in the hill country. We will keep you posted.

Tomorrow will be devoted to working outside with Miguel. I am tire already, and it is not even tomorrow yet. BUT, I should be able to sleep a little later at least.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, WEED-WHACKERS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2012 - Day 076/290 - Friday...

March 16 is the 75th day of the year (76th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 290 days remaining until the end of the year. And nothing really important or exciting happened today. It is not my birthday or anything like that, so who really cares? Since it was really such a boring day, there were no photos taken to commemorate it. Searching the Internet produced the photo you see and various photos of the NEW iPad. So, I went with this one. Sure, there were lots of other images relating to March 16th, but none of them were of me, so I figured 'why bother'? There is really not that much more that can be said about today, if you must know the truth. If you can think of something worth delivering to the nether-regions of the world-wide-web, be sure to let me know, otherwise, this is pretty much it!

It is my journal and I will do what I want.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, MARCH 16TH, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2012 - Day 075/291 - Thursday...

As long as we are on the subject of cows...I was suspicious last night that there was a new calf out in the pasture. I kept checking it out with the binoculars (I was too lazy to actually drive back there in the Mule to see for myself), but could never really tell for sure. The reason I was suspicious was because there was a calf that kept wanting to curl up and sleep, and the other calves would not leave it alone. When I got home this afternoon, Jody and I drove back there and confirmed that there is indeed a new heifer calf, probably two or three days old. I think it is interesting that things just may not 'look right' and that I can recognize that something is different out there. ANYWAY, in honor of the Ides of March (even though she was not born today), we are naming her Ida Clare. Her mama is Mimi's Moonbeam (also mother to Moo Unit), and the make a handsome pair, it I do say so myself!

Pretty good day today, only had five clients on my Meals-On-Wheels route, but that was fun. Everyone was home too, and it was good because I had a noon appointment. Everything worked out, so that is always a happy thing.

Appointments tomorrow morning, appointments tomorrow afternoon, appointments on Saturday. Life is good. Now if I can only find the time to cut some grass and pull some weeds.

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

2012 - Day 074/292 - Wednesday...

Still having a difficult time keeping up with what day it is...

I got to the office REALLY early today, and then headed out to the SXMLS meeting that was held at the Ben Hur Shrine building in central (we used to consider it NORTH) Austin. There was this big fiberglass cow parked across the street, so naturally I had to take a picture of it. Later on during the social part of the meeting, someone came up to me and said 'I saw that cow across the street, and I thought of you'. REALLY? I asked him if that was something he would say to his wife, and we both thought it was kind of comical. It is not really working that well in this translation.

It was a long day today, and tomorrow will be another long day, BUT I will be delivering my Meals-On-Wheels route, so that is always a nice and positive thing.

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

2012 - Day 073/293 - Tuesday...

Really? Tuesday? It's only Tuesday? This DST stuff has not only screwed me out of an hour, I don't even know what day it is anymore. What day is it? Oh yeah, Tuesday...

As long as I was in the neighborhood, I knocked on the door to one of our elected officials office, and no one was home. I just wanted to introduce myself, since I was in the neighborhood, and because I am the TREPAC Chair at the Austin Board of REALTORS. I was waiting around for my appointment (which was the reason for me to be in the neighborhood) and I noticed a lady come out of the office to take care of a matter of personal hygiene. As she was returning to the office, I did introduce myself and asked her if the Congressman had any messages I could help him get out to the constituency, and she was not aware of any. Sorry to have put her on the spot like that, but that might be expected when there is a BIG (government paid for) sign outside the office, sort of inviting people to stop by and say hello, as long as they are in the neighborhood anyway.

Whatever...

Jody had a flat tire on his truck today, and there is NO ONE in Bartlett to come to the rescue. We have AAA, so they (finally) sent someone to change the tire from Georgetown. But, at least there was someone sent, and Jody said all parties involved were very nice, and let him know what was progressing. We have had AAA for a couple years now and never had to use it, but as far as I am concerned, it just paid for itself. We also have roadside assistance with the OnStar that we both have in all the vehicles. Good to know they work.

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

2012 - Day 072/294 - Monday...

It's the day after springing forward, and I am not liking it. I was up at 3:30 this morning (the clocks said it was 4:30, but you can't fool me), and now it is just after 7 o'clock, and I am ready for bed. One of the REALLY bad things about daylight savings time is that the girls WILL NOT go to bed until the sun goes down, and that is really a bummer.

I had an exceptionally good day at the office today. It is summer break here in central Texas, so that meant traffic was really not terrible. A good thing.

Tomorrow looks like it will be another good day, and then beginning on Wednesday, the days get a little bit 'scheduled'.

Whatever...

Deeds, Actions, Changes, DAYLIGHT SAVING?, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2012 - Day 071/295 - Sunday...

Today's entry could be titled 'When it rains it pours' or 'Fantasy in the disposer installation'. But first, this news from the home front about the egg crisis.

Really, there is no crisis, we just found ourselves with 13 dozen eggs, so we were on a mission to dispose of some of them. The mission was accomplished with great success, and the quest will continue throughout the week. The chickens seemed somewhat dry this morning when I loosed them upon the environs. It continued raining here til about 1 o'clock (depending on your clock in case you had not adjusted them properly). This morning, as the did yesterday, they all decided to hang out on the back patio and look inside thinking we should open the doors and welcome them with open arms and places that have never seen chicken sh*t. BUT, o eau contraire, there will be no chickens in the house. This is a picture of Vera on the coke cooler outside the den window. Pitiful...

But what about the 'fantasy' comment? Back in 1979 (this is where some of you say 'I wasn't born yet' or something else equally obnoxious and hurtful) I was assigned to be the Assistant General Manager of the Holiday Inn Chateau LeMoyne in the French Quarter. It was, at the time, the flagship Hotel for the company, and since it was in the French Quarter, they decided to hire a Frenchman off the boat to be the General Manager. French Quarter, Frenchman, what could be better? So, this guy named Christian LePrince (maybe or maybe not his real name) became the General Manager and maybe he did or maybe he didn't call me BEEEEEEL. Anyway, he did not have the best grasp of the language, and he would send out memos about this-and-that, and they were pretty interesting. Pickled Cashiers was really Kosher Pickles, a tube of water was referring to a hose, and Fantasy in the Uniform Wearing was about, well, not following the uniform dress code at the property. It was really kind of interesting, and we would wait with fish in our mouths for the next memo.

That brings us full circle to the Fantasy in the Disposer Installation. You may remember several weeks ago I was threatening to change the Garbage Disposer because it was inoperable. Well, back then, I stuck a broom handle down into its' nether regions and freed it from whatever it was stuck about, and it seemed to be fixed. Well, it was really just teasing me.

I had loaded up the dishwasher last night, and accidentally forgot to turn it on. This morning after breakfast, I reached under the sink to get the dish washing packet, and it was all wet under there, and since I was running water in the sink to get it hot (to turn on the dishwasher) I could see it was leaking from around the garbage disposer. Probably if I had just left the disposer frozen up a couple weeks ago, it would not have leaked, but that is past history. SO, I replaced it and was a total basket case doing it. I am usually pretty good at stuff like this (at least I had been in the past) but since I have been relatively unsuccessful at changing a light switch in the laundry room last week, my confidence was shaken.

BUT, it was a success, and we now have a new disposer, and all is well with the world. Criminy, that was a long and boring story.

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

2012 - Day 070/296 - Saturday...

This is what happens when it rains in central Texas. Things that have lain dormant for season-after-season suddenly become rejuvenated, and they burst forward with new life and vigor. Things turn green (or in this case yellow) or blue or pink or purple. The dust is washed off the leaves and out of the air, and once again we remember the beauty of the Texas spring.

Speaking of politics, Jody and I put politics aside today and decided to go to Chic-Fil-A for lunch. We shared a chicken salad sandwich, and a large order of fries. Jody had a chocolate shake, and I had a Oreo-Cookie shake. Had to have my Oreo Cookies fix. We were accosted by the 'hosts' of the restaurant not fewer than four times to make sure we were content, that everything was okay, and could they refill our drinks for us. I took them up on that one, but they decided it was not really what they meant, since we were having shakes and not the high profit-margin sodas. Whatever...

And as long as we are discussing child raising, when exactly did parents stop teaching kids to chew their food with their mouths closed? I think it must have been the generation immediately following mine, because I see lots of 40 somethings that cannot chew without sharing it all with those around them.

You would think I had a bad day based on the ranting, but actually I did very little other than eating and sleeping the whole day. We have received about two inches of rain so far with this front that continues, and we are expectation about another quarter inch or so before it is all over. We had some great thunder (much to the chagrin of the dog) but it was interesting. The cat cannot be annoyed by the thunder since she is deaf as a post.

Looking forward to another equally rewarding day tomorrow.

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

2012 - Day 069/297 - Friday...

It's Friday, and this is my happy dance, except every time I start to get my groove on, I just slosh water. NOT THAT I AM COMPLAINING, you understand. Actually, I am all for the rain. As long as it is raining (or continuing to threaten rain) I am not doing anything. I will be a slug, and only sunshine will be able to pour salt on my mucousy little self. The prognosticators are still saying that it is going to rain through Sunday, 100% chance for the next couple days at least. So far we (that is here on the edge of nowhere) have received an inch of rain. It rained so hard at the office today (how hard did it rain?) that the 'storm drains' (I don't think they are really sewers) could not handle it, and the street was flooded. It rained very hard for about 45 minutes, and it had to be a substantial rainfall amount. Stay tuned, I will keep you posted.

I was stopped at a traffic light on the MoPac service road today, and saw more evidence of Bluebonnets. There have been reports of wild-flower sightings from near and far in the central Texas area, and it seems like it will be a good wild-flower season.

I left the office this afternoon at about 3:30 to take advantage of a respite of calm, and traffic was already chaotic. Between the SXSW crowd, the rain and the fact that people in central Texas have no idea of how to drive, let alone how to drive when it is raining and there are tens-of-thousands of tourists in the area, it was total pandemonium. There seemed to be a fire drill at the old Crest Hotel (cannot remember which franchise it is now branded as) or there was someone throwing gold chains into the crowd (it could happen). Whatever it was, people were flinging themselves out of the Hotel, umbrellas of all colors self-opening and it all made for quite a picture. Sorry, you will just have to use your imagination. It was really kind of pretty, but I was busy texting while driving in the rain and could not find the camera.

News flash: I have learned how to drive with a new body part. I have begun applying hand-lotion to my farmer-like hands in the mornings on my way to work, so, since I have mastered the art of steering with my knees, I am now forging new skills of steering with my wrists and forearms. Knees are still best for a relatively strait road, but wrists and forearms are better on curves, as long as you are not trying to change channels on the radio.

To my new (and hopefully good) friend Shannon...nothing will keep me from the Dairy Queen this weekend, not even the thoughts of staying home, piled up in my big blue chair with the TV on and the remote clutched in my otherwise lifeless hand, snoozing. Oreo Cookie Blizzard. Worth the ride.

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

2012 - Day 068/298 - Thursday...

This was the view (pretty much) on my way to work this morning. And it did not get very much better most of the day. BUT, when I left the office this afternoon, the temperature dropped 28 degrees between the time I left and the time I got home. AND it rained like a crazy. It was raining cats and dogs and I think I stepped in a Poodle.

Whatever...

It was a pretty calm day today. I did not deliver my Meals-On-Wheels route today because I had a meeting. I have that conflict once a month. After the luncheon meeting, I had a couple other appointments, but I was actually able to get a lot of work accomplished. I am kind of looking forward to it being a rainy weekend. I would really like to just sit inside the house, get a fire going in the stove (we have a fire going right now) and just chill out. That would be really nice.

On a sad note, if you follow this journal (and can remember back that far) I posted a photo of Leslie Cochran a couple years ago. I paid him two-bucks (I think) to take his picture, and he was quite a character. Leslie died this morning from (mainly) just living a hard life. He was Austin's iconic street person, and was known near-and-far. He was sixty years old. RIP Leslie.

I have one meeting tomorrow, and hopefully a pretty calm day. South by Southwest (SXSW) began today (or tomorrow) and the city is full of out-of-towners again. I need to do my best to steer clear of downtown.

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

2012 - Day 067/299 - Wednesday...

Forgive me father, for I have sinned; today, as I was driving to San Antonio to attend a closing, I had to stop in Schertz to put gas in the car. I had only driven 1,100 miles on that tank of gas, averaging about 135 miles per gallon, but I digress. I was tempted by and succumbed to the adjacent What-A-Burger. The alluring siren proved too much for me and I crashed my ship onto the rocks of the drive-thru like a hobo on a ham sandwich. No there was no actual physical damage done to anything, except my 16 month boycott of the fast-food chain (and all other fast food chains drive-thru features) was ended in a moment of weakness. I had two Just-A-Burgers, a large order of fries, and a large root beer. The root beer is still in my car and will continue to be consumed for the next several days.

Whatever...

While I was driving down there, evidence of the high winds we have been experiencing was pretty darned evident in San Marcos. A canopy over some gas pumps at a station along the service road had been blown over and pretty much crushed an SUV. I bet the people in the SUV (if there were people inside) were surprised. It looked like the SUV was driving and the canopy fell on it. It did not look like a place where the SUV would have normally chosen to park. It was too quick for me to grab a picture though, you will just have to take my word for it.

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

2012 - Day 066/300 - Tuesday...

Well, it was a really nice start to the day today, this was the sunrise that greeted me as I was leaving the house. It is getting a little bit brighter as I leave in the mornings, and we start Daylight Savings Time this weekend, so it will be dark again when I leave next week. It is always something. Some adjustment I need to make or something else I need to pay attention to. STOP IT!

Finished my second day of teaching class today at the Board, and it was another good day of teaching. I was very happy with the outcome of the class, and I think the colleagues that were in attendance enjoyed it as well. After lunch today, Stephen stopped in to talk to the class about TREPAC. It was a really good presentation, and he received about $350 in investments. Many of the people in the class had already made an investment in TREPAC, but it was a good presentation, and it was a great amount of investments that he received. This is a picture of one of the attendees in the class, Rob, and Stephen. I had told Rob that he and Stephen could be twins, except that Stephen was a bigger guy. Here is the photographic proof. What do you think? I think they could be twins, but Stephen took up more room in the womb. Try saying that five times quickly...and Stephen said it, it was not my idea!

I got home tonight and Ira came by to give me some bids for working on some of the fences and installing some new fences. There is always something that needs to be done.

Tomorrow will be a day devoted to mostly office work, there will be one quick trip to the Board, and then in the afternoon (about 1 o'clock) I will be heading to San Antonio for a closing. YIPPEE!

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

2012 - Day 065/301 - Monday...

I have to admit, this was not a usual Monday. I taught class at the Board of REALTORS all day today, and it was great fun. A great class, great challenging questions, and overall just a plain old good experience.

This is a picture of the yard after I attacked it with the shredder yesterday. Looks pretty good, even if I do say so myself. SQUINT, and it will be even better. Our friend Mikey called from Florida to report that he has NOT made reservations to visit and pull weeds. It was worth a shot anyway. We love him, and it would be okay for him to just visit, weed pulling not necessary but really quite appreciated.

We had an appointment with a man to come and give us bids for fixing some of the fences in the pastures, but he did not show up until a). I had already changed clothes, b). It was dark outside and c). We had already begun eating dinner. So, we now have another appointment for tomorrow evening. It will all be okay.

Another day of class tomorrow, so I am gonna call it a night.

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

2012 - Day 064/302 - Sunday...

Okay, we've got some eggs, I'm just sayin'...

I stayed in bed until almost seven o'clock this morning, and when I finally got up, I had a cup of coffee and read the paper. Then I made a pile of eggs for breakfast.

I had eight things on my to-do list, and got seven of them accomplished. I almost had eight things done, but it seems I am no longer capable of changing a light switch. There is seemingly no reason for that deficit in my character, it just seems that changing a light switch has been upgraded to something that requires a PhD in quantum physics (or reading teeny-tiny instructions) that I did not keep abreast of for the past several years.

Honestly...

Jody and I went to Georgetown this evening and had dinner at Tony and Luigi's Italian Restaurant. Pretty good, but I really don't think it was as good as the last time we were there. Not sure why that is? Jody said his food was pretty flat, that it needed some zip. Mine was good (veal parmigiana) but not great.

I am teaching classes for two days starting tomorrow. Gonna be fun!

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

2012 - Day 063/303 - Saturday...

Usually I can sleep in on the weekends, til like 6 o'clock. But today, I had an 8 o'clock appointment, and it was 35 miles away from the house, which means I wanted to leave at 7 o'clock, to get there early. So, I got up at the normal time, by default. I got some work done, busy naggy things that I needed to get done, and took off. Driving down IH-35 there were some nice clouds in from of the sun coming up, so I took a couple shots. I like clouds...

After my appointment, I stopped by Chris's house to see how he was doing. It was nice to meet his mother, and to see his dad again. Chris is recuperating nicely, and it was great to see him. I haven't been able to give him a hard time in a while, so there was no reason to pass up that chance. Thanks again to Chris and Ruby for all your help last week with the Women's Council of REALTORS Celebrity Waiter Dinner...or something like that.

Once I got home, I threatened the weeds around the house with the lawn tractor. I drove the lawn tractor over the weeds several times, and the weeds and the lawn tractor both survived the ordeal. I do not know if that makes it a win/win situation or a lose/lose situation. Not sure. Regardless, if you are out in the front year it looks like a VanGogh painting. Lots of thick layers of paint with lots of texture and thick slabs of green and yellow. If you are standing on the porch, it looks much better; and especially if you squint, it looks more like a Monet, kind of pretty and pastel. Whatever...

We did make it into Georgetown where the Blizzard of the Month is Mint-Oreo, so that was what Jody had, and I had my usual Oreo-Cookie Blizzard.

We then headed to Home Depot to buy a light switch to replace the failing one in the laundry room. When did light switches become so difficult? That is code for saying I have to take the light switch back tomorrow and buy another one. Crap-O-Rama.

We got eight eggs from the girls today, and if we keep getting that volume of eggs, we will need to buy another refrigerator for the house. Who would have ever thought that three refrigerators for one house would be inadequate?

Tomorrow I am going to feed the cattle, and try again at destroying some of the weeds around the house. I am thinking kerosene. Any ideas?

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

2012 - Day 062/304 - Friday...

It's FRIDAY, and it is Texas Independence Day. Not much that can top that! Happy Texas Independence Day, Y'all!

A really busy day, but all is good. I got a new listing this morning, and the appointment took longer than I had anticipated. I should have made it earlier, but I didn't. SO, because of my lack of planing, I was late for Karla's two-year-anniversary luncheon at ZAX. But, I made it and was not QUITE 30 minutes late to the lunch. This photo is what was left of my club sandwich and fries. Did not care for it at all.

After lunch, I got a finalized contract offer submitted to all the parties, and Tom helped get it sent for electronic signatures. Everyone signed off on it, so that is done, which (if all goes well) will close at the end of this month. Two closings this month, SWEET!

Then I had a two o'clock appointment, and got back to the office around 4 o'clock. Made lots of phone calls, took a lock box to another property, and I was headed home about 5:30.

I have an 8 o'clock appointment in the morning, and then there is some work around this place that has my name on it. We shall see how much of it I get completed in the next couple days. I need to pace myself.

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

2012 - Day 061/305 - Thursday...

I saw Bluebonnets while I was waiting for the light to change on the MoPac service road this afternoon, and I had seen some Mountain Laurels blooming earlier. There have been Iris blooming across from City Hall for a month now, and Jody reported he had seen a bloom at the house, but I have not seen any blooming yet. This is a photo of the Mountain Laurel outside the window of one of the bedrooms. This poor little tree tries so hard to survive, but it has been retarded (stop it) by the heat and drought, but it is still kicking. I think this is the first time I have seen it bloom since we have been here.

I had to manually set my watch to the correct date today. I cannot comprehend that it is already the first of March. But, if it helps, it is making this week go by more quickly. Highs and Lows, that is for sure.

Here is a high: Today was my Meals-On-Wheels day, and there were only six clients on my route. One of my favorites was not home last week, and she was not on the route today. I hope she is okay. I always like it when I get to deliver my route, it just makes a difference in my day.

Here is another high: Got a nice listing entered today, and started woeking an offer on the property YESTERDAY. Interesting. AND, I have a closing next week, so that is something to look forward to.

No real lows, just need to get some rest.

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