2013 - Day 273/92 - Monday...

I miss Helen.  This was a FULL day of meetings.  If it wasn't one meeting it was another meeting, and most of them were all in the same place.

I did not get home until after 7 o'clock this evening, and the girls were not all that happy about it.  This is one of the Silver Laced Wyandotte's, and they are one of the more finicky of all the breeds we have.  They are not particularly stand-offish, but they are not one of the ones that will follow you around the yard, either.

Lucky for you all this is a brief entry.  I have to go to bed now, to convalesce for a new round of meetings in the morning.  This is going to be one of those weeks, but it will all work out okay.

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

2013 - Day 272/93 - Sunday...

We think we are on the downhill side of this canine medical emergency.  We think it is pretty much all over except for the on-going cleanup.  Of course, the Boy Dog may never poop again!  I got up at 1 o'clock this morning to give him another syringe full of his medicine (canine kaopectate kind of), which of course has a side effect of constipation.  He got another dose at 9 o'clock this morning.  The good thing was, Jody got a full night of uninterrupted sleep, and after the 1 o'clock dose, I slept until about 6:30.  Almost back to normal.  We have gotten most of the towels and wash clothes washed, and I power washed the porch.  I expect we will find lingering evidence for another week or so, but almost done (we hope).  Two weeks ago, the dog could not walk but now he is walking, lifting a leg when necessary, and even went for a walk down the road late this morning.  Life is getting better for the Boy Dog.

Other than cleaning and napping, I did very little today.  I also cleaned the chicken coop, a traditional Sunday chore.  Late in the afternoon Jody and I went into Georgetown.  I was on a mission for a couple new ties and some pocket squares; not much luck but we did have dinner at Fish City Grill.  Oh, and I did manage to drive about 50 miles to buy two pocket squares at Stein Mart in Round Rock.

The sun came out about 4:30 this afternoon.  We got a total of 0.12" of rain overnight, and a few traces of rain throughout the day, nothing close to the rain totals reported in Austin and Pflugerville.  BUT, as always, we are happy with whatever we get.

Tomorrow will be another LONG day, and you can read all about it here tomorrow night.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, BOY DOG RECOVERY, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2013 - Day 271/94 - Saturday...

KIBOSH: ki·bosh kəˈbäSH,ˈkīˌbäSH noun informal noun: kibosh; noun: kybosh put an end to; dispose of decisively. "he put the kibosh on the deal"

Yep, that is pretty much what I feel like I may have done for our chances of rain out here on the edge of nowhere (which is further than the middle of nowhere).  In anticipation of the elevated possibilities of rain over the next 36 to 48 hours, I fed the cattle today instead of waiting until tomorrow which is the norm.  They were surprised to say the least, as was I, because I really did not feel like doing it.  I was perfectly comfortable in my big blue chair, sleeping, but with a death grip on the clicker.  BUT, that is done and now my entire day tomorrow is open.  There has not been a photo of Mr. Speckles on the blog for some time, so I thought I would share this with you.  He is a good boy (and sneaky).

We made another trip to the Vet's this morning.  Ever since the Boy Dog has been home, we have been to the Vet's office more than he has.  We got two more prescriptions to try and curtail his projectile diarrhea, and so far he has had two doses.  There seems to be some improvement, but the big test will be tonight when we find out if we can get a full night of uninterrupted sleep or not.  He is scheduled for another dose at 1 AM, and I will set my alarm for that time and give it to him. 

It has sprinkled a little bit out here, but nothing like what we have seen reported in Austin.  We did take a trip into Georgetown to get a few groceries.  We purchased an expensive (but not the MOST expensive) package of bacon, so we will have some of that in the morning, as well as a few other things.  And a half-gallon of Blue Bell (Homemade in the Shade) ended up in the basket.  I had just luckily brought along the cold bag and some blue ice (just in case).  We have not seen that particular flavor in several months, so there will be a little celebration tonight with a generously proportioned bowl of same.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, A POX ON RAIN, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2013 - Day 270/95 - Friday...

Okay, you might remember that yesterdays entry was not posted until today because I was not in a journaling mode until it was today, but I dated it yesterday because these things go in order and I am too OCC to deviate from the routine.  But you will all be happy to know that today's entry is being completed today and posted today, because it is still today.

I slept in my Camp Office accommodations until 7:38 this morning which gave me 22 minutes (okay, why should I think anyone would arrive before 8 o'clock) to get ready for the day.  Bed collapsed, shaved, brushed and most of the really important things accomplished (coffee, too) before 8 o'clock, and all was pretty much okay.  The only thing I forgot to pack for my adventure was a towel, but the little dispensed wipes in the bathroom did the deed pretty efficiently.  I have to admit, it was not the most comfortable night I have spent in a while, but I think as it occurs another couple times that I will have the routine down pretty well and it can only get better.  Oh yeah, there is a pretty good chance of rain over the next 48 hours or so.  I may need to feed the cattle tomorrow instead of Sunday, just to be safe.  I will play it by ear.

I do not really think it will be 2:30 in the morning before I get to sleep to many times, so that is a redeeming factor.

Stayed in the office and worked most of the day.  We had our Thursday PM in the AM meeting on Friday instead of Thursday, but I do not really want to get started down that path again.  You see, Thursday was yesterday and Friday was today, and ...

I left the office about 2:30 to get my hair cut at 3.  I made it home before 5 PM which is a feat all in itself.  The next two weekends (not this coming weekend) will be CRAZY because ACL Festival will be happening.  The City will be Full 'O Freaks!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, FULL OF FREAKS I SAY, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2013 - Day 269/96 - Thursday...

Alright, it is WAY WAY WAY past my bedtime.  I got off to an early start this morning, and knew I was not going to be maki8ng it home tonight.  I am camping out in the office, and I think that will be a pretty regular occurrence for the next 15 months or so.  This is the view of my inflatable bed in my office as seen from the desk chair.

Our PM meeting in the AM has been postponed until tomorrow (although it is already tomorrow, I am pretending like it is still yesterday). 

If it's Thursday, it must be my Meals-On-Wheels day.  There is a new client on the route, and she lives in a place that I never even knew existed.  BUT, overall, a good day for getting out in the fresh air.

I left the office this afternoon about 5 o'clock and headed downtown for the City Council meeting.  We met up first at a place called Coal Vines across the street from City Hall.  Headed back to City Hall at 6:30, and then waited for the meeting to resume.  I was there to speak 8in opposition of a Rental Registration Ordinance that was being proposed.  I made my presentation about 10:15 (not really sure what time it was) and the Council was deadlocked, so the Ordinance was postponed indefinitely.  Which I think means it will come back to Council next week.  Very interesting.

Good night...

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

2013 - Day 268/97 - Wednesday...

This is what a broody chicken looks like.  All they  (there are two of them) do all day is sit on a fake egg waiting for it to hatch.  Sorry to be the bearer of bad news girls, but do you remember those drag queen hens that USED to be hanging out in the coop with you?  And do you remember that they are no longer around?  And did you even BOTHER to read that book (with all the gross pictures) that I bought you that explained everything about the chickens and the bees?  DID YOU?  So let me reinforce to you, there ain't nothing gonna be hatching around these parts of the edge of nowhere.  I'm just saying!

Hey Mike?  What days is it?  Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike?  What day is it?  I love that commercial.

Boy Dog update:  I think the Boy Dog is making progress and it is about to put Jody and me in the hospital.  At this point, he prefers to sleep in short spells, not all through the night like we are used to.  He is back and forth like a fiddler's elbow that Boy Dog.  And the delirium it produces within me makes me post stupid things in my journal.  I'm just saying.

I will be spending the night in Austin tomorrow.  There is a City Council meeting to attend, and I do not expect it to be over until (maybe) 1 o'clock Friday morning.  That is what they get for screening their calls and not getting business taken care of during normal business hours.  It will all be fine, though, although it may make me a little bit crabby; it should be good for reading though, when I finally get the post completed.  Tune in sometime Friday to see Thursday's entry.

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

2013 - Day 267/98 - Tuesday...

The Boy Dog kept us up most of the night.  Okay, I finally got to sleep around 11:30 and the Boy Dog kept Jody up most of the night.  Finally about 3 AM, with the dog no where in site, Jody came back in the house and left a note on my desk that the Boy Dog was outside, probably on the porch by the time I got up and in the office.  I had spent a little time when I got up looking for him, and when I saw the note, I went and looked and there he was.  Then I got a mirror and put under his nose to make sure he was breathing, and came back inside and got my day started.  He spent most of the morning outside, and that is where he is now.  He has NEVER spent a night outside as long as we have had him until last night.  If he goes through this tonight, I hope we can coax him into the dog yard by the side of the house, it will make me feel a little better that other predators getting hold of him.

This is a photo of some rain lillie's that have sprung up since the rains last week.  There are several patches of them here and there, and there was one patch being visited by a really pretty yellow moth (maybe a butterfly, I did not pay attention in that class).  They will last for a day or two and be gone until the next good rain.

It was a pretty good day in the office, doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  Our office is a condo, and there was an Association meeting at noon and that was pretty fun.  You should never miss a meeting of a small Association for fear of being voted into one office or another.  That is the way it works.  I then had a 4 o'clock meeting, details of which I will reveal to you at a later time.  Thursday will be a busy day; there is a City Council meeting that I will be attending, and I fear it may go on until the wee hours of the morning.  I expect to carry a bag with me just in case I do not make it home.  I have slept in worse places than my office in the past, it will not be anything remarkable.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, LILLIE'S, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2013 - Day 266/99 - Monday...

The Boy Dog is back, but he is not out of the woods yet.  He can walk again and he can go in and out under his own power, but the drugs and other associated afflictions have led to some other challenges, and we are working on getting those under control.  Let's just say that PetSmart does not have a doggie diaper that will fit his generous expanse of dogness.  I hope it will fix itself in a couple of days.

For a Monday, this was not too bad of a day.  There has been a lot of work accomplished, and lots of driving back and forth for this thing or that thing.

Time to call it a day.

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

2013 - Day 265/100 - Sunday...

Slept in, made a pile of eggs, get the cattle fed, chicken coop cleaned and painted (with the help of Miguel) the front barn.  Most of it.  The morning glories are doing very nicely this year, and I do not know the reason for that.  We have been in an extreme drought, and they have had little or no attention, but they are lush and beautiful.

The temperature this morning when we got up was 53 degrees, and it was lovely.  We had the windows open and finally closed them about 2 o'clock this afternoon.  I will be opening them back up before I go to bed tonight.  Very nice.

We went into Thorndale for dinner tonight.  I had a rib eye and Jody had the enchilada plate.  Chris joined us, and it was all very nice.  We saw a little bit of the Emmy's while we were eating.  On the way home through Taylor, I stopped at CVS for a jelly bean stock up, and then to HEB for gas in the car; $309.9, can't beat it.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, RIB EYE, Kindnesses, Wh
irled Peas, FUN!

2013 - Day 264/101 - Saturday...

Boy Dog Update:  There is no update.  As of yesterday, the vet wanted to keep him another few days to see if he will make any progress.  Jody had mentioned going to visit him this morning, but decided against it.

We had a beautiful sunrise this morning, just the tiniest little bit of rain over night, and for the 24 hours since I checked last, we received 2.35" of rain.  SO, for the week that totals about 2.7" of rain.  Better than a poke with a sharp stick.  Some places in central Texas got 6 or seven inches, but we are happy with what we got.  I am hoping the fields will be dry enough tomorrow that the tractor does not get stuck when I am getting the cattle fed.  PLUS, I kind of have a suspicion that there is a new calf back there, but I will know for sure tomorrow.

Jody and I both did as little as possible today.  I took several naps but did nothing that could be considered useful.  We are glad to report that, if it had not been for the cold front that came through overnight, it would be REALLY HOT here.  As it is, it is a temperate 269 degrees, according to this sign.  Of course, this particular sign has said it was 269 degrees for about the last two months, you would think someone could figure out how to program it or at least take this function out of the loop.  Interestingly enough, the time and the temperature are the same.

Tomorrow will be my chore day, but I again plan to do as little as possible.  We are going to go into Thorndale for dinner tomorrow night, come and join us at the City Café if you want to.

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

2013 - Day 263/102 - Friday...

Boy Dog Update:  Not much news.  The vet says he can stand up for a few seconds, but then he is down again.  Still being sociable, still eating, just no walking.  She has some concerns that he is too big for the ambulatory aid but she will do a bit of research.  I think we may go for a visit tomorrow.

It rained a good bit in these parts today.  In the past 36 hours, we have recorded about 2.7" of rain, and it is still a little dribbly outside.  It is supposed to rain some more, and there is a cold front on the way.  Right now it is about 70 degrees outside, I am thinking about putting on a cardigan and building a fire.  BUT, it will be back up in the middle 90's next week, after a couple days with highs in the seventies and eighties.  This is a photo of me going out to check the meters and the girls.  I am prepared for high water.  The rain has certainly cut down on the egg production, we only got three eggs today.

I am expecting a calm weekend.  I hope it rains all day tomorrow so I will have a convenient excuse for not doing anything.  Hopefully I will be able to get the cattle fed and do some chores on Sunday.  The only problem with rain is that it will cause the grass to grow, which means it will have to be cut.

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

2013 - Day 262/103 - Thursday...

Boy Dog update; there is no update.  No news from the vet, so maybe that is good news.  I was (not really) surprised to find out that there are a variety of mobility aids for dogs and cats, so other folks have gone through this before.  The question is, how do we lift the dog up to get him strapped into the aid?  The answer (perhaps) is that they also sell lift straps of some sort that you strap around their back ends and lift, which is actually an improvement over the way we were trying to do it the other day.  Hopefully there will be good news tomorrow.

My day started out a little stressfully.  Everything I did this morning I had to do three times before I got it done properly.  JUST SLOW DOWN EVANS, but that was not working for me either.  Then, I got into the car, and I remembered that when I turned off the car last night it said I could go 12 miles before I ran out of gas, but we live 17 miles to the gas station.  BUT, I made it and that was not a challenge.  Needless to say, I had an extra long commute this morning.

I made it to the office in time to answer two e-mails and then headed off to a breakfast meeting.  It was my pleasure to introduce Senator Kirk Watson to speak about the medical school that will be a part of the University of Texas.  Interesting stuff.

I then headed back to the office to do some power-real-estate before heading to the Mueller Development to learn about affordable housing and the bond proposal that will be voted on in November.  Very interesting stuff.  We also toured several of the affordable housing products that were built around the city as a result of the last bond initiative that was passed in 2006.  This is a photo of William, one of the Governmental Affairs staff from the Austin Board, trying not to choke on a mouthful of food he was trying to ingest en masse. 

We did get a little bit of rain here so far, about 0.20" at last count.  Tomorrow there is a 100% chance of more rain, so that is better than the usual 10% chance.

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

2013 - Day 261/104 - Wednesday...

...it's what's for dinner.  Leftovers and home made pickled beets.  Not from our home, but from a home I know of.  Yummy.

Boy Dog Update:  He is eating, socializing with the other dogs and cats at the vets, pretty much doing everything a dog should do except walking.  They did some x-rays and they determined there is a growth of some sort on one of his rear legs, we are still waiting to see what the outcome of this will be.  After I complete this journal entry, I will be doing on-line searches of 'handicapped pet mobility aids' just to see what is there.  We cannot be the first folks who had a (otherwise perfectly) good dog except for the walking part.

Busy day today, lots of stuff accomplished, meetings in the afternoon.  Busier day tomorrow with LOTS of interesting things happening.

Stay tuned.

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

2013 - Day 260/105 - Tuesday...

I took this picture this morning as Jody and I were on our way to the vets office.  In the last couple days the boy dog has decided he really is no longer interested in walking.  The vet (yesterday) said he was old and very arthritic.  He has had a couple spells lately, but always made a nice recovery.  He was still in the back of Jody's truck when I got home from work yesterday and it was a bit of a problem getting him out and into the house.  Things did not get a lot better overnight.  We both slept in the living room with him (since he was essentially immobile) and we were bot up every couple hours to try and calm him down.  I called the vet at 4:30 to see what time they opened up (7:30).  Then I called again at 6:30 and got an answer, but they were not really there, just answering remotely.

Bottom line is, I think he will make a recovery again, but there will probably be no more rides in the truck unless it is a 'has to' situation.  He is a good old boy, and the house right now is very quiet without him walking around.  I expect we will get good news from the vet tomorrow.

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

2013 - Day 259/105 - Monday...

Well, it could have been worse, it could have been a lot worse...

I got into the office really early this morning, and enjoyed the quite time when I can get lots of work done.  Today was a full office day, so I took advantage of that.

The possibility of rain has decreased markedly, although something is going on that is giving us better chances of rain beginning on Wednesday with a 60% chance on Thursday.  There is some talk of a phenomenon called a 'cold front' approaching the area by mid-week.  I have heard of a phenomenon by that name in the past, but do not really recall what they are or what they do.  It was cloudy for a good part of the day, so that did keep our temperature down to the mid-90's, and the clouds on the way home were just beautiful.  Always time for cloud admiring.

Tomorrow will be a day that starts and ends in the office, with a meeting or two in the middle.

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

2013 - Day 258/107 - Sunday...

Another lovely day out here on the edge of nowhere.  Slept a little bit later than usual this morning, and that was nice.  No pile of eggs this morning, neither of us were really that hungry after pretty filling meals yesterday.

The main goal for me today was to get the cattle fed and the chicken coop cleaned out.  Both were completed without too much trouble, but it did take a little while to try and outsmart the cattle so I could get them fed without bodily harm to me.  But, that got done and all is well.  The chickens were a little bit aggravated that I was bothering them while they were looking for a little private time in the coop.  Everyone came through the ordeal without too much trauma.

Later in the morning, I put the new power washer together and was totally surprised that it started on the first pull.  Lovely!  And now the front porch is all pretty and clean, but it will probably not last that long with a herd of chickens.  At least we have the pressure washer now, so it is not really a big deal to clean it off every now and then.

It looks like the hurricane in the gulf is going to be a loser for us, we were really hoping that we would get some rain out of it.  There is always next week.

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

2013 - Day 257/108 - Saturday...

This is what weekends are made for. 

Stayed in bed late, finally got up and read the paper, made a pile of eggs for me and Jody (included some bacon and cinnamon rolls), made a list of chores (and ignore the list until late afternoon), took the dog boy for a ride (after which he would not get out of the car), tried bribing said dog boy with biscuits and he would have no part of it.  Finally lifted very heavy aforementioned dog boy out of car. 

Went into Austin to face the crowds at Costco where I came precariously close to having a physical confrontation with a family of thirty five camped out in front of a vendor giving away what looked like some sort of pizza bites.  I could have taken all but a couple of them, but I have always felt that discretion is the better part of valor.

Left there and drove home via the Home Depot in Georgetown where I bought a couple fountain pumps and a pressure washer.  I will try it out tomorrow.  Then a quick stop to Dairy Queen (my first visit this year) where Jody had a hot fudge sundae and I had an Orange Julius Original.  Remind me not to make that mistake again, especially since a small was $2.39.  We did, however, take advantage of the gift card from our friends Joe Mac and Carolyn!  THANKS GUYS!

After that, we made a stop at Chipotle for dinner to take home with us, and then there a detour to the Berry Creek Park so Jody could feed the mules.

Once we got home, it was nap-time for both of us.

Please refer to the first sentence in this journal entry.

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

2013 - Day 256/109 - Friday...

There is no amount of manipulation in the world that can save this photo.  It is just a bad photo, that is all that can be said about it.  It is a photo of some of the chickens taken this evening after Jody and I got home from dinner.  We went into Georgetown to the Catfish Parlour for dinner, good fried catfish and some fried shrimp.  Fried French Fries.  Fried Hush P
uppies.  Are you catching on to the trend here.  And no, it is not that we are going to have fried chicken for dinner tomorrow night.

But I digress...I needed a picture for this journal entry, so I went into the chicken coop after dark and thought that would be a good photo and as long as I was in there I may as well take an inventory.  It have been about six weeks since I counted to see if everyone was still around, but they are.  Twenty-8 girls all present and accounted for.  But they were not happy to be interrupted in their evening ritual, but what is done is done.

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

2013 - Day 255/110 - Thursday...

It was an early start to the day today, and following my Boy Scout tradition (disclaimer:  I was never a Boy Scout) but I do believe in being prepared. Okay, maybe not so prepared, maybe early.  Anyway, I assumed that I had given myself PLENTY of time to get to the Board of REALTORS® for an 8:45 appointment.  BUT, there was a HUGE traffic jam on MoPac and it took me almost an hour to go seven miles.  The last seven miles.  I made it on time (and with time to spare) and everything worked out well.  Today was the day that we (The Austin Board of REALTORS®) broke ground for our new facility.  Not exactly sure when construction will begin, but we are supposed to assume occupancy of the facility in December of 2014, which means I could conduct one meeting at the facility before my term expires.  This is a photo of Kathy Coneway (President of the Association) and me after the ceremony.  It was a good event and it will be a great facility and a source of pride for our members.

After the ceremony, I headed back to the office to do some power real estate.  I got to the office about 10:30, and it was all desk work until about 2:10 when we finally began our re-scheduled PM meeting.  There was also some prep necessary for a Noon appointment tomorrow, and some prep for two other meetings after.  I think everything is pretty much under control.  I guess we will find out tomorrow.

On my way home from work, I stopped by the Williamson County Tax Assessor's Office to renew my truck tags and the farm trailer tag.  I could have done this electronically, but there was another issue I wanted to get taken care of.  I do not know if I mentioned this, but did you know that the car tags are really nothing more than a piece of printed plastic stuck to a piece of metal, kind of like a film that is on the lens of your cell phone when you first purchase it?  Well they are.  And the plastic film was peeling off the metal on my car tag, and I had taped it back on.  SO, I decided to change my personalized plates (they said IHELP and the homeless folk always expected me to adhere to my claim).  I won't share what the new ones will say, but I had tried for EIEIO.  Not available.  The lady at the office said I could try E1E1O, but that was taken too.  3I3IO was taken (not that I wanted it), but we eventually settled on a tag that I think I will like.  ANYWAY, the woman that worked with me was named Veronica, and ALMOST everything at her desk had her name on it, and before I left, with the help of some sticky-note, tape and a Sharpie, I monogrammed a few more of her desk-ware.  She also had an electric stapler and a manual stapler on her desk, and we discussed how stapling papers together had become such a physical task lately...whatever.

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

2013 - Day 254/111 - Wednesday...

The fact that I choose not to opine about the obvious should not lead you to believe that I am unaware.

Did I mention to you that I am happy (really happy) to be home?  There was one small problem today; the Hotel coffee was REALLY bad and not very strong, so today, being back on my usual and hearty blend, I was in overdrive for most of the day.  I need to make a note of that the next time I travel.  BUT, what could make a homecoming better than home made Gumbo with fresh okra and tomatoes from the neighbors?  I'm just saying...

I was able to get a lot of work accomplished today.  Only one meeting to attend and a couple of errands to run.  Much of the same tomorrow, and my day Friday is Noon and beyond heavy.

I am the luckiest man in the world!

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

2013 - Day 253/112 - Tuesday...

The best news and the bottom line is I AM HOME!  It was only four days, but it seemed like a really long four days, and I am glad to be back and participating in our routines (like falling asleep in the big blue chair during the news).

There was a lovely sunrise this morning in Dallas, and I was all packed and ready to go at about 7 o'clock.  By 7:30 I had my bags down and in the trunk of my car, and was ready for the 8 o'clock seminar, followed by the 9:45 Board of Directors Meeting.  I was scheduled to attend one more function in the early afternoon, but I chose to pass on that.  It was probably a good thing because I got lost trying to find my way onto I-35 South and went (maybe) ten miles out of my way.  AND THEN I decided I knew better than Siri at one or two junctures (and I did), but I get really nervous (like an old woman) when I am driving in unfamiliar territory.

BUT, everything eventually worked out well, and soon I was headed in the right direction.  I put my AudioBook on and cruised home.  Lori (the TAR Legal Counsel) passed me at one point, but that was the only person I recognized.  There were more (perhaps) but I was busy checking e-mails or doing something else in a distracted fashion.

It rained on me in Waco (where I stopped at Dairy Queen and enjoyed a chicken finger lunch) and I was going to stop in West to bring home some Kolaches, but there is so much construction on the Interstate that the exits were sort of badly marked, and I missed the exit.  I bet that is not helping the economic challenges that West has been suffering.

Made it to Jarrell and filled the car up with gas so I am ahead of the game in that manner, and I am ready to get into the office early tomorrow to get caught up.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, NO KOLACHES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2013 - Day 252/113 - Monday...

Okay, in about 15 more hours and two more meetings I will be headed back home, and I am ready.  Four FULL days of meetings and networking is enough for now.

My day started at 7 AM with a Leadership Breakfast, then a Region 8 Caucus and then a Region 15 Caucus.  After that the trade show, and then some down time so I could go to my room and get a little bit of remote work accomplished.

The very MOST extravagant indulgence (in my opinion) that I participate in is having my shoes shined.  I am not a fan of shining my shoes, but I do indeed appreciate having my shoes shined.  I had the shoes I was wearing shined and then I went back to my room, changed my clothes, changed my shoes and went back and got them shined.  That is my big deal for indulgence at this conference.

I enjoyed a very nice dinner this evening with Cathy, Barb and Jason.  Thanks Cathy. 

I have not been outside of this Hotel since Friday, and I think that is interesting.

Tomorrow starts at 8 AM, then a 9:45 Board of Directors meeting and then I am out of here.  Checkout is at 11, but I think that means I will need to be packed and take my bags downstairs before I go to my 8 o'clock meeting.

Horrible.

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

2013 - Da y 251/114 - Sunday...

I actually slept in a little while this morning, my first session was not until 10AM, so that was kind of a treat!  The day started off with a really good Property Management presentation, and then a luncheon for the Women’s Council of REALTORS®.  Another Property Management forum (with a JP as the guest speaker) and then a Governmental Affairs Forum.

All good stuff, but there was a break before dinner, and I did not want to get anything to eat, so I headed down to the Lobby Bar to see what was up.  Not a lot…BUT there were several folks that I know down there waiting to go to dinner; Cheryl, Ruby, Amy, Emily and Jason.  I hung out with them for about twenty minutes, and then it was up to the Installation.

Dan Hatfield is the incoming TAR Chair, and he is a really nice guy.  It was a really nice event, and everyone had a nice time.  Beef, no chicken.

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

Day 250/115 - Saturday...

Okay, so exactly how an I supposed to find my room in this Hotel when the corridor is one giant walkway of sameness?  Everything looks the same.  This is like Levittown except vertical as opposed to horizontal.  Where in the devil am I?  I am somewhat confused

Do not pay attention to the man behind the curtain.  I have  o idea what I am supposed to do tomorrow, but I will figure it out.

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

2013 - Day 249/116 - Friday...

I am writing this journal entry in segments.

First segment:  I was up a little later than usual, and got to have breakfast (egg pile) with Jody before I headed off to the Board.  New Member Orientation is always fun, and there were over 100 new members of the Association there.  After the orientation, I headed off to the office, with the goal of leaving the office by 11.  I was only an hour late, but I was home and packed and on the road by about 12:30.  I made it to Dallas with no issues, although I was working and talking on the phone most of the time, and almost did not pay attention and was travelling on gas fumes.  Everything worked out okay though.

Second Segment: Okay, I am in Dallas, and I am just about to head off to tonight’s function.  Going to the Loft at Gilley’s for a Women’s Council of REALTORS® function.  I am supposed to meet in the Hotel Lobby in 9 minutes.  It should be fun, I will check in with you later.

Third Segment:  Okay, I am back with the final installment for the day.  I went with a great group of folks to the Women’s Council Event at the Loft at Gilley’s.  Loud, REALLY LOUD, crowded, good food great folks.  I did not stay long, too LOUD for me.  I got a ride back to the Hotel, and pretty much camped out in the Lobby Bar, which was absolutely great.  Folks were coming and going and everyone was having a good time.

Time to call it a night, first class is 7:45 in the morning.

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

2013 - Day 248/117 - Thursday...

In the last couple days we have received 0.25" of rain here on the edge of nowhere.  That may not sound like anything big to some of the thousands of entry aficionados out there in web-land, but it is a big deal to us, we are happy for anything we can get.  And our neighbors Randy and Irene did not even get that much.  Rain is a funny thing.  We have received a trace of rain this afternoon, and are hoping for more tonight. The clouds look like we might get some, but you never know.

Today was really a kind of fun day; you should never judge a book by their covers.  I expected some really smart folks were geniuses (and they turned out not to be) and I expected some other folks to not be geniuses (and it turns out they very well may be).

I had a PM meeting in the AM to begin with, and there were a couple meetings contained within that meeting.  THEN, I had a couple meetings at the Board, with a little spacer in between so I could make some phone calls.  I headed back where I was confronted with two sets of geniuses; one set actually turned out to be genius material, the other set not so much.  See the paragraph above.

I wonder what tomorrow has in store.  I have a pretty good idea, but I will wait and see.  At least tomorrow should have a pretty good photo or two, since I will be broadcasting from Big-D.

Day two (or three) of the kinder-gentler Bill experiment, not sure how much longer I can last.

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

2013 - Day 247/118 - Wednesday...

This will be short and to the point, since it is WAY past my bedtime and I have not had my Pop-Sicle yet.

I had a 7 AM appointment to get my car serviced, and found out why I had been repressing memories of rush hour traffic on IH-35.  I left the dealership in Round Rock by about 8 o'clock, and I did not get into my office until almost 9:30.  Now I remember why I leave the house so early in the mornings.  Tomorrow I hope to be back on my 'normal' routine.

I stayed mostly in the office today, although I did a couple drive-bys of properties and did a walk through of another one.  Nothing terrible uncovered at any of the properties, so that is always a good result.

This evening I attended a function sponsored by the Austin Chamber of Commerce, honoring their business award winners for the year.  A nice event.  There really cannot be too many bad things for you in a dessert that looks like this, can there?  I didn't think so.

There was lightning in Austin tonight, and it was pretty evident in my rear view mirror all the way home.  It is actually sprinkling here right now and thundering.  We got 0.13" of rain overnight, so maybe there will be some more in the gauge when I wake up in the morning.

Lots of meetings tomorrow; 9 o'clock, 10:30, 11, 2 and 3:30.  My day is full up.

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

2013 - Day 246/119 - Tuesday...

I am just about 24 hours into my 'kinder gentler Bill Evans' mode, and I have done pretty well if you discount the conversation I had with a WalMart cell phone customer service (oxymoron) person that lives in the Pacific Time Zone (somewhere).  Discount/WalMart.  Get it?  Anyway, I was on hold for 35 minutes before I could speak with someone that ended up telling me I had paid through the 18th of this month, but I should have cancelled before the 29th of last month, so I have to pay another month.  You can do (almost) everything on-line (so I heard for approximately 33 minutes of my hold time) EXCEPT cancel the service.  No, they expected me to give up in desperation and forget to cancel the service, but I was too smart for them.  BUT, not smart enough to NOT have to pay for an additional months worth of nothing.

Anyway, this 'kinder/gentler' thing has its' moments, I just fear I will have more moments that it has, and we will all go down in balls of flame.  We shall see.

The Passion Vines is struggling to make a come back of sorts.  The grass hoppers did not play nicely, and they suffered a bit, plus there is no rain.  This one lovely bloom was in evidence this afternoon, so that was great.  If the two vines can make it through the winter, I think we will be okay.  The Mexican Bird of Paradise has made a stunning recovery in this its' second year, so that means there is still hope for all the plants.  And just in case you were wondering, the Morning Glories are actually doing very nicely, thank you for asking.

I was able to make lots of accomplishments today, and that was good.  Tomorrow will be more desk time, so that is always welcomed.  It will also be a long day, I have a 7 o'clock appointment at the car dealership, and a dinner tomorrow night.  LONG DAY.

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

2013 - Day 245/120 - Monday...

I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day Holiday today. Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union.  The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged inmilar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingman's holiday" on that date.  The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

Somewhere in Texas, a village is STILL missing its' idiot(s), but I am not going to get started with that again today.  What you are reading here is a kinder, gentler Billy Bob, and no harshness shall come out of his mouth.  I am not sure how long I can do this, but we shall see.

Somewhere close by they are getting some rain, but so far it has not been over us.  Jody and I went into Round Rock earlier this afternoon and had dinner at Fire Bowl.  It rained great big drops of rain for about ten minutes, but there was not a drop here at the house.  We can see the rain falling all around us, but so far nothing for us.  There is still time, so we are keeping our fingers crossed.

I did very little today except take naps and then take another nap.  Nothing wrong with that.  I have a feeling I will leave early in the morning and play catch-up in the office for a while.  It should be a full day in the office, Wednesday night I have a dinner to attend, Thursday will be busy and Friday morning will be pretty full.  Friday afternoon I will head to Dallas for five days, and that should be a good conference.

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

2013 - Day 244/121 - Sunday...

As the (not so) old saying goes, 'Somewhere in Texas a village is missing its' idiot'.  If you happen to be missing YOUR idiot (or four or five), look no farther (further) than the gently rolling grazing lands of the edge of nowhere (which is further than the middle of nowhere).  Assuming that because today is the first day of September dove season in Texas must have begun.  We live on a modest 44 acres and there were two or three people this morning hunting doves on the property (30 acres) behind us.  For the last four hours or so, the neighbors to the east of us have been hunting as well.  Just sitting there, trying not to kill their cattle (I guess they are trying) while they shoot round after round at imaginary doves.  I see them firing, hear the shots but do not see any birds flying.

For the first time THIS YEAR I went into the pool.  The Polaris was not working, so I went in and got it fixed.  When we were looking for this place it was MY idea that we needed a house with a pool.  I still like having it, I just have not had the opportunities to take advantage of it this year.  Maybe next year.  AND the fact that I was nekkid in the pool could have had some effect on the neighbors visions of doves that were not there.  I fear that it I saw myself nekkid and was not properly warned, I might start shooting at imaginary fowl as well. 

Miguel and I got some stuff done today around the house, but it was HOT.  All in all though, I am happy with what we got accomplished.  I think I might actually paint some on one of the barns tomorrow, just to see how it goes.  We are also supposed to have some chances of rain tomorrow, but I would not bet the farm on it.

We have had some pretty clouds here and there as well, but all the precipitation so far is way to the west of us.

Tomorrow is officially the Holiday, and I am going to try and sleep in a little longer.  I have some office stuff that needs doing, and that will give me a bit of a head start for Tuesday.  This will be a short week, so it will be busy as well.

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