2013 - Day 243/122 - Saturday...

Saturdays (particularly Saturdays contained within a long Holiday Weekend) are especially made for poor personal hygiene and no shaving.  I embrace poor personal hygiene and no shaving on Saturdays of long Holiday Weekends.

This is a photo of me (notice the photographic evidence of stubble and poor personal hygiene) and my second favorite girl Libby, short for Liberace.  She has not quite gotten used to being a pet chicken as much as Vera has, but she is working on it.  Sometimes I think these Crested girls cannot see as well as the other chickens since they have all those feathers blocking their views.

I stayed in bed extra long this morning and that was lovely.  I did get a pile of eggs made for me and Jody, and got a few minor things done around the house in between naps.  I thought about bringing the hay bales from the front field in for storage, but that is all I did about that, just thought about it.  There is always tomorrow.  Hubert got seven bales yesterday in the front pasture, and he was baling in the back field this morning, but I have not counted to see how many there are.

Tomorrow I need to go into town and get some supplies, and as usual Sunday will be the day to get work done around here.  Clean the chicken coop, feed cattle and do a lot of this and that.  BUT, Monday will be another reprieve, so I am looking forward to that all ready!

August is over already, we got a whopping 1.25" of rain for the whole month, but that is a lot more than some folks around us.  The prognosticators are saying we should have a wetter fall than usual, but just about anything these days is more than usual.  There is NO mention of any good rains that will help fill the lakes and aquifers.

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

2013 - Day 242/123 - Friday...

SYLLEPSIS: syl-lep-sus.  The use of a word to modify or govern syntactically two or more words with only one of which it formally agrees in gender, number or case.  The use of a word in the same grammatical relation to two adjacent words in the context with one literal and the other metaphorical in sense.

What?

A figure of speech in which a word is applied to two others in different senses, for instance, He caught the train and a bad cold, or two others of which it grammatically suits only one, for instance Neither they nor it is working.

Whatever, I am not sure any of that was worth the trouble.

 I did mention that today is Friday, right?  There was a really pretty sunrise this morning, which I got to see before I got on the expressway.  I left late for town this morning, since I had an appointment to get my hair cut at 8:30.  I was there by 8 o'clock, but my hair cutter (Johnna) was late.  I was finished by 9 o'clock though, so that was okay.

Mostly an office day after that.  Chris and I did sub for Meals-On-Wheels this morning, so that was a good thing.  It was our usual route, so there was a bit of confusion; is it Thursday again already?

Looking forward to doing as little as possible for the next three days.  I will try very hard to accomplish as little as I can.  I should excel at that.

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

2013 - Day 241/124 - Thursday...

A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part.  For this reason, it is extremely popular among comedians and satirists.  Some paraprosdokians not only change the meaning of an early phrase, but they also play on the double meaning of a particular word, creating a form of syllepsis (tune in tomorrow or look it up yourself).

So, here are a couple examples:  A bus station is where a bus stops.  A train station is where a train stops.  At my desk, I have a work station.  Okay, just one more and then I need to get serious.  Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says, 'In case of emergency, notify:' I put 'DOCTOR'.

I don't know about you, but I am getting kind of tingly about 'syllepsis'.

Today was our Meals-On-Wheels day, and Chris and I had six clients on our route, and they were all there.  The sage is blooming beautifully in Austin, but not so much here at the house.  Jody says it is all blooming out in Georgetown.  Generally when the sage is blooming it means we will get some rain.  Keep your fingers crossed that we get some rain over the weekend, but hopefully not tomorrow.  Not tomorrow because Hubert came and cut the grass fields yesterday and today, so I think they may rake and bale tomorrow.  It will be good to have some more hay set aside for the cattle.  We are also using much less hay, since we have far fewer cattle now, down 60% from a couple weeks ago, with three more to go.

I have an appointment to get my hair cut early in the morning, so I have to figure out how I am going to do this...just wear a t-shirt and carry an extra t-shirt and work shirt, or be itchy all day long.  I think I will go with the former.

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

2013 - Day 240/125 - Wednesday...

Did you ever play 'Hi Bob' when you were in college or just anytime?  Do you know how to play 'Hi Bob'?  If you don't just ask me and I will tell you.  Over the course of the (Bob Newhart Show) series, the phrase, "Hi, Bob" was said 256 times. Howard Borden (Bill Daily) said it a total of 118 times. Dr. Jerry Robinson (Peter Bonerz) logged 41, Carol Kester (Marcia Wallace) 36 and Emily Hartley (Suzanne Pleshette) 17 times. Ellen Hartley (Pat Finley) said it 5 times, other minor characters or guest stars said it 38 times, and Bob Hartley (Bob Newhart) even said it once himself.

If you look closely at the face of the statue in this photo, it actually does favor Bob Newhart.  If you just give it a casual glance, it seems to more resemble Moe of the Three Stooges.  Shannon and I were walking back to the Hotel the other night from eating at Bubba Gump's and I saw this bronze and instantly knew it was from the tv show and this was Dr. Hartley.  SO, I figured I would sit for a quick consult, and see if I would wake from a dream.  Nope, Shannon was still there!

This was a really busy day, so busy that I forgot about getting my hair cut and missed the appointment.  I thought about it at exactly the time of the appointment and hauled out of the office, but I was too late.  I now have an appointment for 8:30 AM on Friday.  I guess I will go straight there and not go to the office first.  I have an 11 o'clock in the office, so that should be plenty of time.

Tomorrow should be a little bit less hectic, but I am sure I can change all that.  It is my Meals-On-Wheels day, too, so that will calm me down somewhat!

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

2013 - Day 239/126 - Tuesday...

Here is one of the most important things I learned over the past couple days.  Don't get me wrong, the entire three days I spent in Chicago at the REALTORS® Leadership Summit CANNOT be summed up with these words, but if you take these words and combine them with other principals you employ when dealing with ANY situation, you probably cannot go wrong.  Okay, now that I have (most likely) over sold this, here we go:  Advice, Guidance, Care and Kindness.  That is what we can provide.  Statistics cannot provide that. only we can provide those items to our families, friends, colleagues and clients.

SO, I am back and happy to be home.  Unfortunately, I did something to throw my back out this morning, not sure what it was, but generally speaking all I have to do is breathe wrong and it can happen.  Just when you thought it was safe to take a breath, the back goes out.  I did pretty well most of the day, it is the starting and stopping that gets me.  The in-between parts are generally okay.  At some point last year I asked a pilot if I could get my photo taken in the cockpit.  It is kind of becoming a tradition with me, and so far I have never been turned down.  Pilots are happy to talk with the passengers, and it goes for all the airlines that I have flown.  I probably have a dozen or fifteen photos in cockpits now, I have no idea what I will do with them, but I think a photo montage may be in my future.

Tomorrow will most likely be spent in the office playing catch-up, but I do have an appointment to get my hair cut tomorrow afternoon on the way home.  Nice to be back in the routine!

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

2013 - Day 238/127 - Monday...

Absolutely, positively without a hesitation or doubt, the morning session at the NAR Leadership Summit was the BEST I have ever had the pleasure of attending.  Bravo to all the folks that had a part in the planning of that session.

The rest of the sessions were not terrible either, and I am happy to be here and to be getting the information that is being shared.  2014 will be a great year!

Shannon and I went to the Navy Pier this evening and my sole purpose was to ride the Ferris Wheel.  Not as big of a WOW as I was hoping for, but it was fun.  We had dinner at Bubba Gumps, and that was nice but nothing extra special.

We walked back to the Hotel and had a drink in the lobby, and had a great time talking ant telling stories.  We will leave tomorrow (late morning) and will miss the last hour of the meeting, but that will be okay.  I am looking forward to getting home.

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

2013 - Day 237/128 - Sunday...

Today was full-up with a couple classes, beginning at 9 o'clock and finishing at 4 o'clock this afternoon.  Good information, some really good ideas to take back to Austin with me, met some really nice people.  Now I am tired.

After the classes, I came back to my room and tried to take a little nap, but that did not work out too well.  Shannon arrived from Austin, so we went and had dinner (wieners, can you believe it?) and then we went to a Dessert Reception.  Lots of desserts, and I showed incredible restraint and just sampled a couple of them.  Remind me to tell you about the exploding ketchup bottle.

Tomorrow is a FULL day of learning, beginning at 8:25 and finishing at 5 o'clock.  THEN I have a date with the Ferris Wheel at the Navy Pier.  That should be fun.  Can you see the Ferris Wheel in this picture?  Look closely.  I have not seen this Ferris Wheel moving yet, so that causes me some concern that it will be operating tomorrow, but we are not even at Labor Day yet, so it does not make sense that it would be shut down for any particular reason.  Except that it is Monday.

I have watched considerable more television while I have been here than I usually do.  I just have more time to sit in front of the tube here than I do at home.  There are no chickens to feed or to look after here.

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

2013 - Day 236/129 - Saturday...

By ten minutes after 8 o'clock this morning, I had already read the paper, finished off three cups of coffee, made a really good pile of eggs for me and Jody, fed the cattle, cleaned the chicken coop and made sure all the chicken water sources were filled up.

Then I chilled out for a few minutes, and paced myself to pack, bathe and go to the airport for my flight.  Incredibly, I have only one suit case.  That is a first.  It was a calm morning, and everything went well until I boarded the plane.  I made a terrific mistake by sitting behind a really nice young lady with two very young children.  The poor woman was just not prepared to try and control two kids that (otherwise) would have been taking their afternoon nap in the same time period that was otherwise occupied flying from Austin to Chicago-Midway.  There was no napping for me, either.

I got to the Hotel, and have reviewed the materials for my class tomorrow, and I am going to call it an early night.  I am hoping to go to the Navy Pier tomorrow night, and take a ride on the Ferris Wheel.

Who's in?

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

2013 - Day 235/130 - Friday...

To be honest, I am not really smart enough to worry about this and I certainly have no need (none I can think of anyway) to know this and I bet I have no more than three friends (and they were all in the same room with me today, happily pointing out my need to know this) that know or feel a need to know this.  Nomenclature is defined as a system of names and terms used in a particular field of study or community. More controversial, and not likely to be fully acceptable, was the hope that maybe we could standardize nomenclature as well. 

I told you, but would you listen?  Tune in tomorrow when we will discuss the difference between SIN TAX and SYNTAX.  I can tell you right now, one of them is much more interesting than the other.

Yes, it is Friday, and a good day was had by all.  We had an office lunch to wish Liz a good school year and to thank her for being our summer intern.  I got a couple leases done (not actually moving in until next week) and  busied myself with paperwork until it was time for my 2 o'clock meeting.

There are lovely clouds hanging around again today, and there is a chance of rain over the weekend and a couple days next week.  The temperatures are expected to go down to the mid-90's, so that will be nice.

I leave for Chicago tomorrow morning, and I expect it will be cooler there, and should be fun.  I have work to do though, before my first meeting on Sunday.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, SAY IT IN A SENTENCE, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2013 - Day 234/131 - Thursday...

Okay, I am definitely behind the curve on this one:  Each man, woman and child in America eats an average of 46 slices (23 pounds) of pizza a year.

Jody had a dentist appointment this afternoon and our friend Lynda had been out to the house for a visit and lunch (which she made and delivered) so she brought him in to Austin for the appointment.  I picked him up and brought him home, and on the way we stopped at Papa Murphy's in Georgetown and picked up pizza for dinner.  DEE-licious!

Today was Meals-On-Wheels delivery day, and there were only six clients on our route.  ALL of our clients are on the same street, so that makes it really easy.

After that delivery, Chris and I stopped at Target for me to get a new suitcase in anticipation of my trip on Saturday.  I just bought a new suitcase a couple months ago, but it is SO BIG I am actually embarrassed to use it.  I will use it when Jody and I are travelling, but it is HUGE.

We also stopped at CVS so I could get some jelly beans.  Cannot be without jelly beans.

Tomorrow is expected to be a good day, since it is Friday, so that is always a positive thing.  I just informed Jody that one of purslane on the porch and he needed to do something about HIS chicken.
HIS chicken was eating the

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

2013 - Day 233/132 - Wednesday...

Here is a little known fact about a member of the Locksmith Union:  Would you have ever guessed that the King of France and locksmithing have something in common? Louis XVI, King of France from 1774-1792 and husband of Marie Antoinette, was an amateur locksmith.

He loved making locks and mechanical things and enjoyed spending time in the royal locksmith workshop assisted by the local locksmith. Fearing that the revolution would not be kind to him he built his own iron security chest to store papers. The chest could only be opened by somebody who knew the secret of the lock.

Well the reason I bring this up is, I have a property on the market and agents showing the home keep locking the door between the garage and the house. This is the second time this has happened, and now the occupant will not return our phone calls and texts to try and get him into the house.  It seems like he would a) think he should carry a key, b) tape a sign over that lock that says DO NOT LOCK or c) go check in to the Howard Johnson's and we will worry about this tomorrow.

Whatever...

Today was a nice day for checking out clouds on the way home from work.  I could have taken hundreds of photos, they were really pretty, but I settled for seven, and culled them all down to this one.  The road in front of the house is one of my favorites for cloud photos, and I like the openness of the countryside.  Nice!

I had a very productive meeting at the Board today, so that was a great thing.  Got a lot of office work to get accomplished in the morning and then a couple appointments in the afternoon.  In the middle of the day it will be time to deliver Meals-On-Wheels, so that will be fun!  Friday we are having an office luncheon and then I head out to Chicago on Saturday.  It is getting to be that time of year!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, LET ME IN, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2013 - Day 232/133 - Tuesday...

Here is some information about Studebaker's that I bet you did not know.  Hell, you may not even know what a Studebaker was OR that they were really cool!  Studebaker Corporation was a United States wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1861^] under the name of the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the company was originally a producer of wagons for farmers, miners, and the military.

When I was a little kid (I was getting pretty close to driving age, I was probably about 14), I wanted to buy a 1959 Studebaker Lark convertible.  One of my customers on my paper route owned it, I do not even know if it ran, but in my mind I can still see that car where it was parked in the housing complex that I delivered papers in.  Winter, the snow had collapsed the convertible top.  It was yellow with a black top.  The guy wanted $50 for the car, and I had $50!  I had saved up $80 the year before that and bought a Schwinn Varsity 10-speed bike, so I thought $50 for a car was a great deal.  My dad would not let me buy the car, and I have never forgotten that car.  Today while I was on an appointment, this Studebaker was parked across the street.  It is a '62, and it still looks pretty darned stylish.  Studebaker was always a little bit ahead of their time style wise.  Nice cars!  I am still car crazy, but if you know me, you already know that!

Another good day today.  I just realized that I am leaving for Chicago on Saturday, and the whole time I thought it was Sunday that I was leaving.  Changes things just a little bit, but that also means I will get back a day EARLIER than I thought, so there is a little give and take there!

Tomorrow will be a day of office stuff, one meeting in the afternoon, and some catch-up stuff.

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

2013 - Day 231/134 - Monday...

And now for something completely different, some interesting trivia about trivia:  The term "trivia" now represents small tidbits of knowledge that, for all intents and purposes, are insignificant to the majority of people.

You can tell that I am searching for topics, I will try to do better tomorrow.

I had a court trial scheduled today.  Not really sure what kind of trial it was, but it was a JP trial in a civil matter resulting from a Property Management dispute.  Although I was there (in the court room) for almost two hours, the case itself (at least this part of it) was over in about ten minutes.  The Defendant (my side) was relieved of liability, but I do not think this is the last that will be heard.  I was nervous as a cat.  No matter how much I think I am correct in something, you just never know how things will turn out.  BUT, there were some interesting things happening before I was called.  I got to witness (most of) a case that seemed like it would go on forever and then I got to witness two weddings.  Sort of interesting...

Tomorrow and the rest of the week should be somewhat easier, not less hectic, but easier.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, HE SAID SHE SAID, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2013 - Day 230/135 - Sunday...

The case of the broody hen continues:  A broody hen is one that is inspired to sit on a collection of eggs until she hatches chicks.  It is an instinct, influenced by hormones that can be triggered by seeing a collection of eggs in a nest, another broody hunkered down in a nest box or the length of daylight hours.

I just keep putting her out of the hen house and I think she actually gets a little bit of food and water and then goes back to the nest.  There are all kinds of remedies posted on the Internet, but I am not a full time chicken raiser, so I will just do what I can.  I have had brooders in the past, and they eventually get over it, so I expect this one to do so as well.

As advertised, today was a day of working around the house.  Got LOTS of stuff done, including cutting grass and getting cattle fed and chicken coop cleaned.  I think the cattle are a lot happier with  their diminished numbers.  It was a lot easier to feed them this morning.  I need to get buy some more gate panels, there were some casualties last week in the big MOOVE!

I would really not be surprised to open something up and find a snake somewhere or under something.  I check the meters every day, and this is the second or third time I have found a frog in the water meter box.  I am not at all surprised to find them in there, but the puzzlement is how do they get out?  No corpses, so I expect they have a way out.  Who knows?

Another week begins tomorrow, and it is expected to have its' ups and downs.  Mostly ups.

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

2013 - Day 229/136 - Saturday...

Well, this explains quite a bit:  Heat does not kill chickens, humidity does.  Chickens function just fine in higher temperatures, however humidity has been known to lower a chicken's performance and render them dead.

We have a brooder, one of the Danish Leghorns is on the nest constantly.  Every time I go into the coop I take her out, and at some point she goes back in.  This could go on for months, and it gets kind of tedious. 

A week ago, a bunch of us were in Connecticut, and we went to the Mark Twain Home and Museum.  First off, I had no idea Mark Twain (aka Samuel Langhorne Clemens) hailed from Connecticut or anywhere else other than the Deep South, but there you go, he was from Connecticut and quite happy about it.  It also goes a long was in explaining the title of one of his books.  This is a picture of me sticking my face (you really thought it was Mark Twain, right) through a cut out on his body.  Another little known fact.  Late in his life, he went on the lecture circuit (really was parodying himself) to make a living.  It was kind of like Samuel Clements in a One-Man-Show of Mark Twain.  He did it before Hal Holbrook, but probably not as good.

I was very successful in doing as little as possible today that involved any physical exertion, although I did manage to go through some gray matter.  I pretty much cleared out my e-mails that have been festering for the last week or so, so I can start the new week with not quite the back log that I had. 

Tomorrow will be the day for physical activity.  Lots of stuff to get done around here.

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

2013 - Day 228/137 - Friday...

Here is some totally useless trivia about Mini-Me:  When Dr. Evil is rapping and Mini-Me is standing on the platform, Mini-Me is wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey.  This is probably Canadian Mike Meyer's idea since he is a big fan of that hockey team. 

Alright, I know where Mini-Me is.  He is safe and unharmed (for now) in a secure and undisclosed location.  No harm has come to Mini-Me so far, but things could change.  If you are (allegedly) the lawful owner on Mini-Me and you can fit into the Dr. Evil outfit, send me an e-mail, and I will let you know the details of the ransom.

I am tired.  This morning (early) I did a little bit of working with our friends Jody, Tanya and Patrick (and Patrick's girlfriend, but I cannot remember her name) to shed ourselves of some cattle.  The plan was for us to keep five head, and we still have 8, so that was a pretty good cull.  A dozen head are not here any more, that can only be good for the land, good for the cattle and that makes it good all around.  There will be plans to come back in a week or two to get the other three, but I will need to buy some gate panels before then.  These cows get a little jumpy when they are trying to be confined and herded into trailers.  I think there are lots of bent up gate panels back there, but I won't know for sure until tomorrow.

I headed out (kind of late) for the office this morning.  I had a noon appointment that I could not change.  This was the first time EVER that I left the house (going back decades) and did not have my brief case.  Not only that, but I am carrying TWO brief cases these days.  But, by the time I realized it, I was too far to turn around.  Everything worked out okay though.

The day went well, and that was the important thing.  On the way home this afternoon, our friends Chad and John called and wanted us to join them at the Walburg Restaurant.  That was a nice time, and it was fun getting to know John better.  Good food and fun times!

I am sleeping late tomorrow, the sun is coming up a little bit later, so that means the chickens are roosting longer.

Works for me!

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

2013 - Day 227/138 - Thursday...

Here is some useless trivia that you never even knew you needed to know:   A donkey, an ass, and a burro, are all the same name for the same beast. Jackass, is merely the name for a male ass, while jennett, not jillass, is the name for a female ass.

Okay, but where does that leave a MULE?  Is a MULE the same as a DONKEY?  Whatever...

The only reason I bring this up is because this is what I encountered on my way into the office this morning.  I could see what I thought were dogs at first, then I decided there were a couple people walking down the road together, and it ended up being these three guys (or girls or a variety, maybe 2/1 rations one way or the other).  ANYWAY, they were pretty friendly, but I have no idea what happened to them.  They were not around when I came home from Austin, but it was after 10 PM, so I did not expect them to be anywhere around.  AND I cannot think of anyone around where they were that I remember having Mules (or Donkeys or whatevers).

Today was a pretty good day, and in spite of myself I got some work done, but I am still playing catch up, and I fear that will go on for another couple days.  I hate the feeling that I am behind and am forgetting stuff. 

Tonight was the TREPAC Wine Tasting event and that was a lot of fun.  Congratulations to everyone that worked so hard on all the coordination, and especially to Ruby the event chair person.  GOOD JOB!

Tomorrow is Friday, but I expect it to be a pretty busy day bot at home and at the office.  BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!

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

2013 - Day 226/139 - Wednesday...

Here is a piece of totally useless trivia for you today, but (he whispers) I think I saw a Duck Dynasty episode that involved this:  In many cultures around the world -- including Celtic, Hindu and Egyptian weddings -- the hands of a bride and groom are literally tied together to demonstrate the couple's commitment to each other and their new bond as a married couple (giving us the popular phrase "tying the knot").

Whatever...today's entry is about good days.  I have been having a real streak of good days lately, including several days that could be classified (by me of course) as EXCELLENT days.  I returned to my office this morning and found this lovely arrangement of flares (that's Lubbock for flowers) on my desk, accompanied by a very nice card and some very nice sentiments written inside.  Thanks to Pat, Kerry, Beaux, Chris, Carrie, Ruby and Margaret.  You all got my day off to a wonderful beginning.

SO...it did not take long for me to clear off my desk and get a lot of little detail work done so I could head off to my 10:30 meeting; followed by a Noon meeting, followed by a 12:30 class.  It was a quick class, Chapter 17 or the REALTORS® Code of Ethics.  After the class, I high-tailed it back to the office for some power real estate, and then I had a dentists appointment at 4:15.  I made it to the appointment at 4:14, but that is on time as far as I am concerned!

Did I mention that it rained a little bit here?  It just keeps getting better and better!

Tomorrow should be a little bit quieter, but tomorrow night is the TREPAC Wine Tasting.  That should be a lot of fun!

I am looking forward to another EXCELLENT day. 

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

2013 - Day 225/140 - Tuesday...

Here is some actually useful trivia for the day, as long as you have ever been on an airplane or ever intend to in the future and think you can remember this.  SO, what's up with all the binging and the bonging (not to be confused with the bing-bonging) you hear on airplanes?  When you hear one single "BING," it’s a passenger who rang his/her button for the flight attendant to render assistance (or another drink). When you hear two-tone "BING-Bong," it’s the pilot, ringing the flight attendant's phone because he/she wants to talk to them. When you hear two full "BING-Bong… BING-Bong…" tones, it means you've been cleared for landing and it’s time to put up your tray table and seat backs in their upright and locked position.

So, there you have it.  We are back in Austin, and we are glad to be home.  It was a great trip and lots of adventures and new experiences were had by all.  I am not going to say that we had a rough flight on the first leg of our trip home this morning, but all three of the flight attendants SAT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AISLES because it was so bumpy.  Jody and Carrie and I got to chat with our own personal flight attendant as long as she was down there.  I asked he if they were trained to do this when it was really rough, and she said it was either the floor or the ceiling, and she preferred the floor.  She said it was the first time in her twelve year career that she had done that; it is not part of the training, but it is the common sense and logical thing for them to do.  BRAVO.  All I can say is, it got my attention!  This a photo of me and the flight attendant after we landed.  OH YEAH, after we landed, she also sang us a song.  Really fun!

I am already playing catch-up for having missed two day of work, but it will all be okay.  Pretty soon there will be a three day weekend, and I can get caught up during that extra day.

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

2013 - Day 224/141 - Monday...

Log-off this journal site NOW or be offended.  It is (almost) guaranteed that this post will offend a substantial portion of the citizenry of this journal site.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Okay, so the day started off with a walking tour.  Our friend Carrie made it into town late yesterday evening, so now we are whole.  The Group consists of:  Me, Jody, Jim, Bonnie, Mikey, Carrie, Lynda, Michael, Bruce, Melody and Arienne.  A wonderful group.  Bruce said if he were not a member of the group, he would do whatever he had to do to get into the group.  ANYWAY, this is the place next door to the B&B we were staying at, and there has been some comment that there had been an error made and my reservations were supposed to have been confirmed at that place.  I am not sure, but I do agree that I have been know to have some special needs on occasion.

After a quick walk, Jody and I took care of some business and then we returned for naps.  After naps, we took care of some more business (monkey business) and then had some yummy food and then more naps.  After naps, Carrie, Mikey, Jim, Bonnie, Michael and Lynda and I walked down through the town and ended up in a little museum, and then back to the cemetery.  Both the museum and the cemetery were interesting, and after we receive some printed information at the museum, it makes it even more interesting.  The oldest marker in the place is dated 1698 (as I recall) and it is just interesting to me to be in a place that has so much history.  Very interesting.

We had a GREAT dinner tonight (totally unbelievable) with a great group of friends and we are done for the day.

It will be an early day tomorrow, breakfast at 6 in the morning, trip to the airport at 7 and flights at 9.

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

2013 - Day 223/142 - Sunday...

Sorry to report there is no totally useless trivia for me to share with you today, maybe tomorrow...

Today was a kind of eclectic day, if I do say so myself.  Started the day off with breakfast at the Bed & Breakfast.  Then a tour of the city, which included the downtown areas, some of the more urban areas (who know they grew and dried tobacco here?  Not me, that's for sure), and a visit to a cemetery.  The earliest birth date I could find was 1711, which is a long time ago.  There are lots of interesting things around here.  It is difficult for me to comprehend that this town was founded in (about) 1633.  Crazy!  Here is a photo of some of the eclectic-ness that we encountered today.

Then we went to the Mark Twain home and museum, which is next door to the Harriet Beecher Stowe home and museum.  Then it was back to the B&B for naps, and then to dinner at a very nice Italian Restaurant.

My friend Carrie had a bit of difficulty getting from Austin to here.  There was a problem with the fuel pump (I think) on the plane she was scheduled for, so they had to change planes, which caused her to miss her connecting flight.  She finally made it here at about 8 PM; we got back to the B&B and we all just sat around for a couple hours exchanging stories and having a good time.

Tomorrow will be an interesting day.

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

2013 - Day 222/143 - Saturday...

Useless trivia for the day:  There is none!  I guess there is not a lot that can be more useless than that!

Okay, so we were (okay I was) up at 3:30 this morning making sure all the plants were watered and this and that.  We left for the airport at about 5:30, we arrived at the airport at 6:15 for a 7 o'clock flight.  Half of the city of Austin was waiting in line at the baggage check, and the other half were at the baggage check inside the terminal.  That was not going to work, so we just decided to go through the security check and go strait to our gate.  We got to the gate with four minutes to spare and we were the last ones to board the plane. Our friends Michael and Lynda were on our flight.  We met up with our friend Michael at our destination airport, and then we met up with friends Jim and Bonnie at the Bed & Breakfast.  Carrie will join us tomorrow.  This is a photo taken from the back of the Bed & Breakfast, if any of you can recognize the location.

We all went to lunch and then back for naps.  We met up with our other friends Bruce and Melody who live here, and they were having a birthday bash for four:  Melody, her daughter Arienne, Melody's mother and Melody's neighbor.  68, 90, 40 and 50, in order of mention.

We just got back to the Bed & Breakfast after a delicious dinner in town.  Extra good.

More tomorrow.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, WHERE ARE WE, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2013 - DAy 221/144 - Friday...

So, this is not so much in the useless information category as it is in the 'Well you don't need to worry about this anymore' category:  A commercial aircraft door will not open in flight because it is actually bigger than the window frame itself, and the door opens inwards towards the cabin. To open, it must be opened inwards, rotated, and then slipped sideways out of the frame. Even if the door could somehow be opened, it would be like lifting a 2,200 pound weight.

Anything I said yesterday about the pilot and his photographic abilities are hereby withdrawn, not because I determined that he was/is in fact a talented and disciplined photographer, but rather because I have determined that he had/has a sense of humor.  I thought he only took two photos, but he snuck a third one in there that I did not know about, and did not know about it until I was trying to decide what photo to use in tonight's entry.  In this photo, I am trying to read his name tag so imagine yourself craning your head to read some VERY SMALL print a couple feet away and 'SNAP' it is documented for the ages.  As I did say yesterday, he was a great guy, and I think him for the little surprise!

Today was a GREAT day, and I do not usually say that just to be saying it.  I was part of a GREAT meeting at the Board, and we got some really good work accomplished and I am very proud of that.

Did I mention this is Friday?  Well, it is, so that is gonna wrap it up today, and I will report in tomorrow from a super secret location.  Maybe we will play a 'where is that' game to see if anyone can tell where we are.

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

2013 - Day 220/145 - Thursday...

Here is something you most likely NEVER needed to know (or had any reason to know) but there is NO time like the present, so here goes:  Wilbur Wright flew from Governors Island up the Hudson to Grant's Tomb and back in 33 minutes on October 4, 1909, making the first successful flight ever seen in New York.  His flying machine was equipped with a red canoe for emergency water landings.

The flight home this afternoon from Chicago was pretty much uneventful until right there at the end, and then it was kind of like a roller coaster ride.  Everything worked out just fine though.  It is pretty darned obvious to me that this particular pilot is a better pilot than photographer as well.  He took two photos, the first one included my hand and a lot of instrumentation, but this one worked out pretty well.  I am taking it as a pretty much GIVEN that all pilots are nice guys, and are happy to let you get a photo in the cockpit.  They did draw the line and veto letting me come up into the cockpit while we were 'en route', but you can't have everything!

I got to Chicago late morning yesterday and did not leave the hotel for even a second.  I think that is what it might be like when we all live in environmentally controlled bubbles.  I was not subjected to actual real air for about 30 hours (if you don't count the smokey stuff you encounter outside the terminals while waiting on the shuttle.  Okay, so this is not really what it will be like in an environmental bubble, but this is my journal and I will write what I want.

Tomorrow is an early day in the office, then off to ONE meeting at the Board then more work and then home.  Heading out early Saturday morning for a lone weekend in Connecticut.  That will be super fun!

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

2013 - Day 219/146 - Wednesday...

Here is a piece of totally useless information for you and it has nothing to do with the heat in Texas:  Chicago is home to the world's largest free outdoor food festival -- The Taste of Chicago. In 2006, 3.6 million people from around the world attended the Taste of Chicago festivities.

I only bring this up is because up until about 6:30 this evening (and I got up about 4:30 this morning) all I had to eat today was a piece of a brownie (pretty good) and a chocolate chip cookie (really good) at the hotel here in Chicago.  In order to stay hydrated I did have a Diet Coke and a Diet something else, I can't even remember.

I got on the plane this morning at about 8:45 and headed north.  As I boarded the plane I checked in with the pilots and got the okay to have my picture taken in the cockpit when we landed.  I tell you what, every pilot that I have asked has agreed to take my picture in the cockpit.  Pretty soon I will have a pretty impressive collection of photos.  I think the pilots actually have a good time doing it, and it gives them a break from the routine.  Cool!  No, literally!  The high temperature here today was about 88 degrees, it is 72 degrees right now.  There is supposed to be a cool front in the area tomorrow, I do not know what that means.  Do you think it will snow?  It could happen!

Good meetings today for the NAR Broker Involvement Program, but it has been a long day.  I met some rally nice people (here is a shout out to Margie!), and now it is time to go to bed.

Leaving here tomorrow about noon, and head back to Austin and back to the office on Friday.

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

2013 - Day 218/147 - Tuesday...

And now for something completely different (but essentially as useless as everything else posted here):  Lowest USA temperature: -79.8° F / -62.1° C, Prospect Creek, Alaska, 23 January, 1971.

As long as it remains as hot as it is, I am going to (most likely) bore you to tears with the high temperatures of the day.  Today it was 105 degrees in Austin, and as of about 7 o'clock this evening it was still 104 degrees.  They are (I think, check the photo) forecasting 106 degrees for the next couple days and then a cool front comes in (possibly) around Friday which is expected to lower the temperatures to about 100 degrees.

I will be reporting to you from Chicago tomorrow, where right now the temperature is reported to be 81 degrees.  Now THAT is something to write about.  I will most likely submit (for your approval) a photo of some industrial waste site near the airport.  Fly in, check in, meet, sleep, meet, fly out, done.  In and Out, nobody gets hurt.  I am flying on American tomorrow, which means no checked baggage.  I had to call them today because when I printed my boarding pass it had the wrong flights, the wrong seats (okay, it had TWO DIFFERENT seat assignments) and it stated the boarding time was an hour and 46 minutes after the plane departs.  They suggested I print another boarding pass once I get to the airport tomorrow.  Still seems kind of Twilight Zonish to me...

That is all for today, it is too hot to think.

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

2013 - Day 217/148 - Monday...

Here is something that you may not know (factually) but are probably experiencing as you read this: A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity. While definitions vary a heat wave is measured relative to the usual weather in the area and relative to normal temperatures for the season. Temperatures that people from a hotter climate consider normal can be termed a heat wave in a cooler area if they are outside the normal climate pattern for that area. The term is applied both to routine weather variations and to extraordinary spells of heat which may occur only once a century. Severe heat waves have caused catastrophic crop failures, thousands of deaths from hypothermia, and widespread power outages due to increased use of air conditioning.

Well, at least it is not as bad as it was a couple years ago.  Today we marked our 21st (I think, I was not really paying attention) day this year in excess of 100 degrees.  And I think we have had a dozen in a row as of today.  There were less last year, but in 2011 we had already had over 50 days in excess on 100 degrees.  We ended up that year with over 90 days over 100 degrees.  At about 6:30 this evening, we were still at 100 degrees (officially), and I can tell you for sure it is hot!

Today was a pretty good day at work, got some good stuff done.  I have an early morning appointment tomorrow, 7:30 in the morning for the Austin Empty Bowl Project.  We are getting close to the event (the Sunday after Thanksgiving) so that will be a fun event, and a very worthwhile one.  It is just a teensy bit early though.

Heading to Chicago Wednesday morning, back Thursday afternoon.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, IT'S HOT, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2013 - Day 216/149 - Sunday...

What is the second most frequent answer when people are asked "What would you do if you won the lottery?"  Get a divorce.

The most frequent answer is Start my own business, but what I really think they meant was get an unlisted number.  Anyway, here I am, composing another journal entry, so you all know that I did not win, and I am very disappointed.  Well, there is always Wednesday (or is it Thursday?), I'm not sure, but I am certain the media will inform me when it is time to make the purchase.

Today was a great day.  Slept in a little bit, let the girls loose (and they were ready), made a big ole pile of eggs for me and Jody, then went outside and started working.  I actually (okay, with Miguel's help) got everything on the list done plus a couple more items.  It is interesting what you find when you are moving boxes and stuff from one place to another.  I have to admit, I have a better understanding of what is packed up and now stored in the new shed out in the back.  The garage is also looking pretty neat and clean if I do say so myself.  This Proclamation from the City of Riverview, Michigan was given to me in 1967.  A friend of mine from two houses down and I were delivering the newspapers early one morning and there was a fire in one of the houses.  We got into the house, woke up the people inside and carried the chair outside (after we put out the fire).  I got this proclamation from the City and a $50 savings bond.  I was in tall cotton.  Oh, and we also got out pictures taken and published in the Detroit Free Press. 

Jody and I left the house this afternoon about 1:30 or so (after naps and showers) and headed into Austin.  We made a run to Costco, then a couple more stops before we went to dinner.  I had a 7 ounce filet, and brought most of it home with me.  The leftovers will make a meal for the two of us to split. 

We got a record number of eggs today, nine all together.  I hope the egg drought has finally ended and we should be getting a good number of eggs every day pretty soon.  I think we have at least 25 chickens out there (I have not counted lately), but I think there should be 28 (after divesting ourselves of the obvious boy-chicks), and the new girls have started laying.  We should be knee deep in eggs pretty soon if everything goes as planned.

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

2013 - Day 215/150 - Saturday...

Here is an interesting factoid for you today, it won't do you any good (especially after I win the PowerBall jackpot tonight) but it might encourage another soul or two to play:  Contrary to popular belief, it is not true that the odds of winning the lottery are worse than being struck by lightning. You only need to consider the awarding of large jackpots to dispel this myth. In 1996 1,136 people won $1,000,000 or more playing North American lotteries. An additional 4,520 won $100,000 or more. By contrast, 91 people were killed by lightning. In addition, there's no second prize in a lightning strike. In a lottery, you win lesser amounts of money by coming close to the winning numbers. On many games odds of 1 in 5 or 1 in 4 are not uncommon. Lotteries award over $50 million in prizes in North America every day. Lightning isn't nearly that lenient.

Okay, so now that you know why my e-mail will not work after tomorrow and I will be changing my telephone numbers, let's talk about today.  I was able to sleep a little bit later, but there are always the chickens to let loose, and they tend to get a little bit cranky (with each other) when they are confined and it is daylight.  The good news is, it is getting darker earlier, so I get to go to bed a little bit earlier.  I know there are some of you trying to imagine going to bed earlier than I already do, but it is possible.  This is a picture of some of the girls just getting ready to think about going to their roosts for the night.  Always a good thing to hydrate before bedtime.

There were a couple naps during the day, but no real work was done.  I did go and buy some cattle feed and some bird seed, but that was pretty much the extend of it.  Tomorrow will be the day for chores, but once I claim my jackpot, I will probably just hire it all out.

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

2013 - Day 214/151 - Friday...

Nothing you can use but maybe you can work it into a conversation somehow information for the day:  Controversial debate surrounds the creation of the hot dog. Who really created the first hot dog? Although the city of Frankfurt, Germany credits itself for the origin of the first frankfurter in 1852, some argue that Johann Georghehner, a butcher from Coburg, Germany created the first frankfurter in the 1600s.

Today was the Fan Fare Friday at the Austin Board of REALTORS® and we were collecting fans and cash for Family ElderCare.  It was a good day for it, the thermometer in my office (in the shade) was registering 103 degrees at about 3 PM.  There was a food truck, cupcake truck, sno-cones and a dunking tank.  It was great fun and everyone had a good time.  I did not make an appearance in the dunking tank, much to my relief.  It looked like a lot of fun, but some things are just better left to the youngsters.  So Mr. Evans, can you tell us the events leading up to your arrival at the Emergency Room for treatment of your lacerated and inflamed protuberances?  Um, well, I slipped?  Yeah, we get that a lot.  Fill this out and we'll call you.  The wieners were good though, even if they can't spell...

It is Friday, and I am looking forward to the weekend.  Gonna sleep a little later in the morning (I hope) and then take a few naps throughout the day.  I cannot think of any real pressing chores that need to get accomplished tomorrow, but I am sure I will find something to keep me occupied.  Sunday will be the day that I fill up with chores.

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

2013 - Day 213/152 - Thursday...

This should be something that could actually help you at this time of year:  How can you lessen your chances of being a mosquito target?  Avoid spazzing-out. If you are in a swarm of mosquitoes, waving your arms around like an idiot actually attracts more mosquitoes.

There.  Wasn't that helpful?  I thought you would appreciate that.  I walked out on the front porch for about three minutes to take this photo of the one of the girls trying to keep cool under a bush and was fed upon by about 3,500 mosquitoes.  That would be about one attack per species of mosquitoes on the planet.  Yes, there are 3,500 species of mosquitoes on the planet, and mosquitoes are found EVERYWHERE except for places that are PERMANENTLY frozen.  You can't just make this drivel up, there is research involved in producing these journal entries on a daily basis.  I will try to come up with something a little bit more interesting tomorrow.

Good day today.  PM meeting in the AM, Meals-On-Wheels, new tenant move-ins, a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  All just another day in the life of the luckiest guy around.  I think we had seven clients on our route this morning and that is always nice.  I won't be able to deliver next week, I have an quick trip to Chicago planned, leaving Wednesday, attend an afternoon meeting then a morning meeting and fly back early Thursday afternoon.  The weather should be nice, that will be the best part.

There is a rumor of a dunking booth participation event tomorrow.  I will let you know how that goes.

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