2014 - Day 181/184 - Monday...

I have taken it upon myself to proclaim this "Flag Week".  And why not?  I see friends of mine proclaiming it is their "Birthday Week" or "Birthday Month", and I am sure there is a turkey wiener month proclaimed by someone already.  So, leading up to the Fourth of July, I hereby proclaim this "FLAG WEEK".  Pay attention folks to the flags that you see flying.  My own personal flag fetish began years ago, I cannot remember specifically, BUT, I know it was nurtured when I was working for the LARGEST Hospitality Company in the World!  One of the things we were inspected on (and inspections were my downfall after thirteen years) were the flags.  No rips, no tatters, proper order.  I know how flags are to be flown, depending on if all the flag poles are the same height, it one is taller than the others, etc.  It makes me crazy to see flags flown improperly.  Okay, blame it on the OCD and the ADHD maybe, but right is right.  ANYHOO...a couple years ago, Jody gave me the giant flag pole and had it installed on the front circle, and we have been happy with that ever since.  Flagpoles on a house are tricky items, the ones you can buy retail are pretty flimsy and don't last long.  You gotta spend some money to save money in the long term.  ANYHOO...pay attention to where you see flags flying this week, and I will share my observations with you on Friday.  This particular photo of flags was taken in Round Rock this afternoon, and they were very nicely done, but I am not sure if they are following proper etiquette with the Texas Flag.  Probably are.

For a Monday, this day was not the worst on record, in fact there were lots of accomplishments made.  Now if I can just get through the rest of the Holiday Week without self-destructing.

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

2014 - Day 180/185 - Sunday...

It seems we have a cat.  Jody calls her (actually of non-specific sexual persuasion) BC for 'Barn Cat', I call her Elsie (or LC for 'Lucky Cat').  BC is the latest in a series of cats we have had over the years.  We have always had a cat (I think three was the most we have had at the same time) up until the recent demise of Missy, who went on to the great litter box in the sky earlier this year.  The latest cat has been seen in the cornfields across the road from the house, wandering around the back of the house by the pool, and here and there.  Neither of us has had an actual meeting with the cat, but we are feeding the cat on a nightly basis, and every now and then we can sneak out to the laboratory at the back and peek at her.  She is very cautious and suspect, so we do not want to scare her off.  We have noticed a diminished number of mice and rats around the house (save for the one I saved from the pool skimmer this afternoon), so she is earning her keep, and for that we are thankful.

It seems we also have some peaches ripening on our trees.  Three years ago, we put in the beginnings of an orchard in the back; a couple peach trees, a couple apple trees and one plum tree.  We have nothing to show for that effort so far except for five trees that are leaning towards the north as a result of the southerly winds that are seemingly constant out here on the edge of nowhere (which is further than the middle of nowhere).  BUT, this year we may actually get some peaches off one or both of the trees.  They seem to be late developers (we have been enjoying Hubert and Pauline's peaches for a couple weeks already), but that will be fine, we will be happy for whatever we get.

I spent the better parts of two days cutting grass around the house this weekend.  Jody is still feeling kind of poorly, he just cannot seem to get rid of the cough and lung congestion.  He is supposed to give the doctor a follow-up call tomorrow, so we will see what his professional opinion is. 

This week will be a four-day week, in celebration of the Fourth of July which conveniently falls on a Friday this year.  Good planning.  Otherwise, it should be a good, fast week.  Thank you very much!

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

2014 - Day 179/186 - Saturday...

Last night Hubert called to see if we were home, Pauline brought over some squash, cucumbers and peeled peaches.  I think they are overwhelmed with peaches and we are happy to have them.  We have two peach trees in the back, and there are peaches on them but they are not ripe yet, so maybe when they get ripe we can share the wealth.  I bet though, that Pauline and Hubert have a freezer full of peaches already!

I have recently begun to think of myself as a wiener-head kind of a guy, not to be confused with a cheese-head, of course if you were to add some chili, I would not be adverse to being referred to as a chili-cheese-wiener head.  But I digress.  Wiener head because of the amount of turkey wieners I consume on a daily/weekly/monthly basis.  They are convenient, and not too terrible for you.  In just a couple minutes in the microwave, you have lunch.  But again, I digress.  I am becoming (in my increasing old age) a wiener head.  I can still get most containers open, but I am having challenges with the re-sealing part of the equation, particularly with those damn zip-lock kinds of bags.  I am obviously incapable of lining up the yellow and blue lines (or sometimes double lines of blue and red) and it is causing me great concern.

See, I told you I am a lucky guy, I have nothing to worry about, so I make crap up!

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

2014 - Day 178/187 - Friday...

The ride home from work this afternoon was interesting, climatologically speaking.  There was a definite division in the sky between clouds and sun.  There is no telling what my granny would say the devil was doing to his wife based on those observations.  There was really not an opportunity to take a photo to document the happening, but this photo that I took after I got home is kind of/sort of representative of it.  The differences in this photo go from top to bottom, on the way home the differences were from side to side.  It was interesting!  I guess if you turn your head sideways you could sort of kind of get the same effect.  Maybe not.

There is no telling what is about to happen.  I cleaned the floor in my office of files this afternoon, and even filed the papers that were in residence on top of the aforementioned files.  Not to fear however, there is still plenty of clutter in my office.  There was even a photo taken of me today filling out a form with the IBM Selectric that I "procured" from a neighboring association.  You never know when you are going to need to fill out a simple form, and you CANNOT do that with a desk top and a Word Program.

We got a trace of rain today, and that is supposed to be the end of it for a while, at least until late next week.  We are happy with what we received, now if the humidity would take a breather, that would make things just fine.

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

2014 - Day 177/188 - Thursday...

I had a really big lunch (and it was a late lunch as well), so for dinner I was not really that hungry.  Jody made himself an omelet and I had one of the peaches that Pauline brought over to us.  They are delicious; juicy and sweet (just like Pauline)!  Well, the sweet part anyway!

We got a little bitty bit more rain today, 0.17" for a monthly total (so far) of 2.09".  Not too shabby, and it has certainly helped everything around here in the greenery situation.

We are on the cusp of Friday, so I am having to work my way up to that.  It means yard work and a lot of outside stuff over the weekend and it is a little bit disconcerting that I think the allergens contribute to whatever in the hell I am being plagued with.  Tired of coughing, I am going on a month now.

Maybe I should just go and have another peach.

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

2014 - Day 176/189 - Wednesday...

Congratulations to you all, this post is going to be short and sweet.  Today has been a little bit stressful and busy and complicated and WET, but it is almost time for bed and all is good.

We got ALMOST a half inch of rain today (0.49" to be exact) and that makes everything better.  The dust has been washed off of everything, everything is green and happy, and all is right with the world.

Tomorrow the US plays someone else (Germany maybe), and we will be having a watch party in the office about noon.  Stop by if you would like.  Otherwise, I am really not that into soccer, but I will take any excuse to turn on the television.

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

2014 - Day 175/190 - Tuesday...

We just got  little sprinkling of rain, 0.12" to be quite precise.  So, for the month that puts us at 1.43", which is a lot better than some people.  It has certainly helped our pasture grasses and the cattle have been off the bales for a couple months now.  It has not hurt the plant life up around the house either.  The four o'clocks have begun blooming nicely, and they have a lovely fragrance.  Not sure why, but they remind me of popped corn with butter.  Or maybe lobster with drawn butter.  Or maybe they just smell like butter, I am not sure.

I think Jody and I are recovering from the crud, I have good moments and bad moments, but overall much better.  Jody is still plagued with a bad cough, and it is difficult for him to get comfortable in the evenings so he can sleep.  I woke up this morning thinking I was feeling better, but as the day winds down so do I.

Today was a good day in the office, got some good work done, and then headed off to the Board for a meeting.  Tomorrow will be a meeting to begin the day at the Board (the Mayor will give a report to the membership) and then it is off to the office to learn about new products being provided for our MLS system.  I may actually be ahead of the curve on this one!  What a concept!

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

2014 - Day 174/191 - Monday...

Well, now my little pretties...hahahahahaha!

This is a brave little avocado plan.  I have been nurturing this booger for about five months now, and I just kept giving it water.  Actually, it started in a glass of water in the office, and it grew roots that would have made a redwood envious, but nothing else.  One day Carrie decided to plant it in some dirt, that was a couple months ago.  I kept it watered, put it outside when the weather got nice, and over the past weekend it finally sprouted!  I was really surprised.  Finally it has decided to put up a sprout.  I guess it was just not ready to sprout before.  Never give up!

Okay, so I am feeling better and Jody is on the mend as well.  There seems to be a lot to be said for this first world notion of going to the doctor when one is sick.  Hmmm...  The other good thing about this is that the medicine I was prescribed makes food unattractive.  We are supposed to take the pill twice a day (with food) because the pill has a tendency to cause stomach problems otherwise.  But, I have no real attraction to food right now, so that is a separate win!  Like it!

Got a lot of work done today, and made it to an afternoon meeting.  I am working towards the long Fourth of July Holiday Weekend.  I passed the fireworks stand on the way home, and they were shoveling the place out.  Closed up since New Year's, but this should be a good weekend, we are not all crispy crunchy and fire prone this year, we have had a little bit of rain!

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

2014 - Day 173/192 - Sunday...

Sound the trumpets!  Alert the media!  This may not be newsworthy to many of you, but this journal entry marks the 2000th entry since I began this thing YEARS ago.  I am working towards completing the sixth year of this blog, and I have no idea how much longer it will continue.  As long as I keep going, I guess!

These ought to make everything better.  Well, these and a couple prescriptions of amoxicillin (one each for me and Jody).  We made the decision early this morning to bite the bullet and go into one of the walk-in medical facilities and see what the hell was going on with us.  Upper respiratory, bronchitis, the whole scoop.  Ten days worth of pills, some cough medicine and we should both be as good as new shortly.  Whatever...

That is pretty much all we did today.  Nothing else.  We slept a bit, took the boy dog for a ride, slept some more, did a little bit of this and that, and then slept some more.  I think that is about what we are going to do for the rest of the night, too.

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

2014 - Day 172/193 - Saturday...

The morning glories are coming along pretty nicely, but they are nothing like they were last year.  I do not know what I did differently last year, but they were beautiful.  Well, the several days of below freezing temperatures might have had something to do with it, but they were extra beautiful last year!

Today was a pretty good day for a household full of sick folks.  I am still in recovery mode, and I still think it has been mostly sinus, but you cannot REALLY prove it by me.  I have had a (sinusy?) kind of headache for most of the day, but perhaps if I would take an aspirin or something it might help.

ANYWAY, I did manage to get the chicken coop cleaned out and put some fresh nesting materials in the nesting boxes.  I also got the electric fence in the back fixed as well.  I walked the fence lines the other day trying to see if I could determine where it had shorted out, and couldn't find anything.  Today, I just changed the power supply and it works.  Nothing lasts forever, and these charging units seem to work for about 13 or 14 months, basically a month or two longer than the warranty.

I went into Circleville then into Georgetown to run a couple errands, and then it was back to the blue chair.  I have had a couple nice naps today, looking forward to a good nights sleep, then a couple naps tomorrow.  I only have a couple things to get accomplished on my list tomorrow, so that will be great.

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

2014 - Day 171/194 - Friday...

Yes, once again it is Friday, and I hate the conflict that brings.  A couple days that I will (technically) not be working, but there is nothing on television.  Conflict.  I plan to sleep A LOT and continue my recovery, BUT Jody has now come down with the crud, so I expect I will put a little bit of time hovering (that is different than hovering) over him, trying the make sure that he is comfortable and that this thing does not develop into pneumonia.  He said earlier that he was feeling better but in my opinion he sounded worse.  We will see how this goes.  One of my clients today told me he had the same thing I have (according to the raspy bronchial cough) and that after a week or two it turned into pneumonia.  I really think I am on the down hill slide with this thing, but it will not hurt to rest a little more over the weekend.

These are not really trumpet vines (I don't think) and Jody cannot right now recall the names of them, but they are blooming here and there in the yard.  I have always liked them, have always thought they were beautiful, and the hummingbirds like them very much as well.

I did a YNN (Time Warner) interview this morning while I was at the Board, not sure when it will air.  We put out stats today, so that usually generates a couple requests for interviews and sound bites.  I had an appointment at 3 o'clock this afternoon, and at 2:56 KLBJ called and wanted a remote RIGHT THEN.  Sorry...if it had really been RIGHT THEN it probably worked since I was still in the car for five minutes...but no sense making myself crazy and trying to cram more stuff into a really tight window.  I hate not being able to do what needs to be done, but sometimes a little bit of pre-planning is needed.

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

2014 - Day 170/195 - Thursday...

I considered leading off this paragraph with the words "How do you piss off a Policeman in Austin, Texas?", but I thought better of it and change my mind.  I still do not have an appropriate lead-off sentence for this entry, so I will just go forward and see where we end up.

I think the cop in the day-glo yellow vest reacted totally inappropriately as I was driving past the scene of this five-car accident on the north bound side of IH-35 as I travelled homeward this afternoon.  I waited patiently for about three miles while all lanes of traffic stopped and started, and all the lanes of traffic funneled themselves into a single lane.  It is kind of the same thing I experience when I go to the post office.  I will wait patiently in line while those before me conduct their business, and  will not complain.  On the other hand, when it is my turn in the cute, I am not going to hurry my transaction.  "Yes, I kind of like these Texas Wildflower stamps, but what else do you have?  Anything with Lady Bird's picture?  How about Elvis?  Anything with Elvis on a stamp?"

Otherwise it was another pretty excellent day.  Chris and I delivered Meals-On-Wheels, and that is always fun.  Then we took care of  little bit of this and that, and then we went to a listing appointment, and then back to the office so I could hurry up and wait.  See the preceding two paragraphs.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, DO NOT POINT, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2014 - Day 169/196 - Wednesday...

I have to keep reminding myself that it is WEDNESDAY, not Thursday.  I wonder what day it will be tomorrow? 

Today was another really good day.  I made a decision early in the day to ‘stop the madness’ for today anyway, and take a break from the over-scheduling that I am so typically guilty of.  And things got better and better as the day progressed.

I had some personal errands that needed to be completed; first I stopped at the HEB in Georgetown to buy some mayonnaise and ketchup (condiments for my wiener lunches).  Then I had to go by the Tax Assessors Office to get some paperwork transferred, then on to the whatever it is called office it is to get a new toll road transponder.  Then I made a quick service stop for my car, then on to a couple other errands, then to the office.  It was all-in-all a very calm and rewarding day.  Peachy!

By the way, today (you may already know this because I included it as a status update on my Face Book page) is the beginning of mine and Jody’s 23^rd year together.  Nothing but good times, and nothing more but good times to come down the road.

And we even got a little bitty bit of rain today! 0.03” to be exact.  It is nice to know that the windshield wipers actually work.  It would be helpful if cars in this area came equipped with dust sensors that is more of a problem than rain generally.

I am actually writing this a couple hours before I am ready to post it.  Jody and I are heading out to ‘The Crossroads’ for burgers (celebratory) for dinner.  Join us if you are in the neighborhood!  Of course, by the time I post this, we will already be back from having dinner, so there is really no way you could join us.  It is kind of like time-travel, if you think about it and squeeze your eyes together really tightly.  Honest!  I expect the typical burger will be the photo of choice today, maybe something else will pique my interests between now and then.

I did go back into the pastures this afternoon when I got home, all is well.  All the cattle are accounted for, none missing, no surprise additions.  The electric fence does have a short in it somewhere, and my cursory glance to the problem revealed nothing.  There will be a fix found over the weekend.

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

2014 - Day 168/197 - Tuesday...

It is still Tuesday, right?  My convalescence is taking over, seems like tomorrow already, or maybe the day after, not sure.

I know of no other places except here in Central Texas (very close indeed to the edge of nowhere, which, if you are a new subscriber to this journal IS INDEED further than the middle of nowhere) where a sight like this means IT IS NEVER GOING TO RAIN AGAIN.  We occasionally have visitors from out of state (typically from the cold places) that are convinced that the flood gates are soon to open and we should all take cover, to which we respond 'pish-pish, bless your heart, try to get a grip'.  There are indeed lots of elephants in those clouds, but none that are going to fall to these blackland prairies.  RATZO!  POST RANT (as opposed to a PS):  Okay all you amateur meteorologists out there, I KNOW these are not cumulo-nimbus clouds, but I was trying to make a point here.  Give me a break!  Boo-Hoo!

Today was a great day, right up to the part that Randy called me and said he thought there was a dead calf back in the pasture, evidenced by the fact that the momma was standing there bawling her eyes out.  That was the cause of some concern, indeed.  As it turned out, it was just another documented case that cows are not the smartest things on earth.  A calf just got a fence in between itself and its' momma and neither one of them could figure out how that happened.  'I just woke up and here I was, I have no idea how I got here and that fence thing is causing me a conundrum'.  Even after Randy opened the gate I think they were still suspicious but they finally took a chance and were reunited.  Bless their hearts.

Favorite New Phrase:  Boo-Hoo.  Replaces Dumb Ass, which is a great relief to many, I know.

Boo-Hoo!

Again, today was an excellent day, and I would like to personally thank all of you that had a part in it, but I can't.  Boo-Hoo!  But in particular, thanks to William and Randy.  Bless Your Hearts!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, Boo-Hoo, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2014 - Day 167/198 - Monday...

Whenever I get really sick, I feel like I have 'medicine head'.  The actual consumption and/or use of any medicine(s), whether prescribed by a medical professional or a casual acquaintance is not necessary.  I just feel like I have 'medicine head'.  This television commercial pretty well accurately describes the feeling.  I feel I am big and swollen (please remove your mind from the gutter, this is a family based journal), and cannot think clearly or communicate the way I am feeling.  I can remember when I was a little kid, trying to tell my dad how I was feeling.  All I could say was 'it is like big words are going through my head'.  I remember that very clearly.  Thinking back, I must have had a fever and was somewhat delusional, a symptom that clearly remains with me decades later.  But, this too shall pass, and I expect I am on the downhill slide to feeling better.  Thanks for asking.

Before I was even on the Interstate for a respectable amount of time this morning, I was plagued by a vehicle that decided to 'spontaneously combust' on its' own volition, and backed up traffic for miles and miles.  All three southbound lanes of traffic were stopped, and when I finally got to the scene of the 'miracle of the Nissans' it was all off to the left shoulder and there was nothing left to see except for a score of Police, Fire and EMS vehicles.  Move along folks, there is nothing to see here.  Keep moving!

Mostly an office day, and the same will be for tomorrow.  I do have a luncheon appointment, and then a quick meeting in my office, but other than that, a good day of doing real estate.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, MEDICINE HEAD, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2014 - Day 166/199 - Sunday...

Happy Fathers Day to all the Fathers out there!

The cactus continue to bloom, and we are almost at the first day of summer.  There is even a little bit of rain in the upcoming seven day forecast.  Sweet! 

I just barely even went out of the house today.  I am plagued with the crud; probably a combination of something along with allergies.  I could not sleep last night because I was coughing so much, so I got up and went to the blue chair.  That was better.  I got up this morning, read at the paper, made me and Jody some breakfast, and retired back to the blue chair.  I stayed there until after 4 o'clock this afternoon, at which time I went out to the chicken coop and gave the girls some feed, collected eggs, made sure there was water in all the appropriate places, and came back inside.  Jody and I had a small dinner, and after I complete this journal entry, I intend to have the rest of my Lime pie that I brought home the other day, followed by ice cream, followed by popsicles, and garnished with jelly beans.  I recommend you all give me a wide berth.

The coming week looks relatively calm, we will see how that all works out!

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

2014 - Day 165/200 - Saturday...

Louisiana Shrimp, Catfish, Boudin...I don't care who you are, that is good eatin'.  There were no mud-bugs (that was a good thing because I did not want to show my lack of desire for those), but there was plenty of food at our friends Susan and Effrim's annual fish fry.  Great food, nice folks and a good day for sitting around in the back yard.  Now, if I only had not been sick (not sure if I am really sick or just allergies), but it is not conducive to conversation when you sound like the neighbors cat hacking up fur balls in the cole slaw.  We tried, anyway.

W also headed out to vote in a School District run-off election.  We got there about three o'clock, and we were numbers 81 and 82.  It will be interesting to see if our votes made a difference.

I think I am going to call in sick tomorrow, and just sit in the big blue chair and sleep.

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

2014 -Day 164/201 - Friday...

If this does not make you smile, it can only be because you are dead.  How can you not smile at this beautiful sun flower?  I understand that, out here on the edge of nowhere (which is actually further away than the middle of nowhere) they are considered weeds and nuisances, but I still think they are pretty.  I expect that someone, somewhere thinks that dandelions are not the scourge of the earth, and appreciate them for their individual appeal.  Okay, let's not get carried away.

Even though it is Friday, I have big hopes for the rest of the evening and the weekend.  Okay, well, part of the weekend anyway.  After I finish this entry I am going to have a dessert (have not decided yet between ice cream and lime pie).  I am leaning towards the ice cream.  The Lime Pie was advertised as Lime Pie (as opposed to key lime pie) so I think that is an interesting switch. 

We (the office) had lunch today at Lucy's Fried Chicken on College Street near Oltorf and Congress.  We were all there celebrating Pat's ten year anniversary with our company.  My how time flies when you are buying, selling, leasing and managing real estate!  Thanks Pat, here is to another decade!

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

2014 - Day 163/202 - Thursday...

Down and dirty journal entry today.  I am still in the office, and I am about to head to the City Council Chambers to testify to the mayor and council about property appraisals in Austin.  I expect to be there until the wee hours of the morning, and I do not expect I will be in the mood to write when I finally get home this evening (if I am lucky) or sometime tomorrow (if I am not so lucky).






I did have a chance to take this photo of some clouds through the car windows as I was stuck in traffic on IH-35.  Very pretty.






Friday will be a pretty good day for the most part.  Or for the conscious parts, anyway.  We are having an anniversary luncheon for one of our agents, Pat, celebrating her ten years with our little real estate company.






Wow!






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


Entry Post-Script:  It seems I cannot upload the photo tonight.  Boo-Hoo!

2014 - Day 162/203 - Wednesday...

It is late (for me) and I just got home, and I have already self-medicated and I think it is taking effect pretty darned quickly.  Probably because I am already tired and I am having some allergy issues.  But, I bet I will be conscious long enough to complete this journal entry AND have a nice bowl of frozen dairy confection.  What do you want to bet?

Here is the back-story to this otherwise innocent looking photo.  Chris and I were on our way back to the office at about 4 o'clock this afternoon, and traffic heading south on MoPac was pretty much at a standstill.  Stop and go at its' finest.  Traffic was totally stopped, and the motorcycle guy decided to drive between vehicles and not let a little thing like traffic laws stop the onward march of progress.  As he passed the guy in the black car, the driver honked his horn at the motorcyclist and the motorcyclist did not find that very amusing.  He stopped, retraced his path and decided to have a discussion with the driver of the car.  There was no obvious anger shown and nothing happened that would have entailed a news crew or a toxic haz-mat clean up crew, but it did have potential.  If it had required a forensic lab visit and cordoning off of the immediate area, you can guarantee that the camera in my cell phone would not have responded as quickly as it did.

On to the ice cream.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, ROAD FINGER FLEXING, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2014 - Day 161/204 - Tuesday...

What this country needs is a bunch more good dogs.  Take the Boy Dog for instance.  We have no idea how old he is or what his life was like before we salvaged him from the Williamson County Shelter.  What we do know is that he has a GREAT life now, and he is GREAT dog.  A very amenable companion for Jody and a talker!  He talks!  And we answer.  He is afraid of thunder and lightning (which might account for why he was in a shelter), he does not beg food from the table (patience is a virtue and well rewarded in this house), and he is tolerant.  We are not a household that includes small humans, but when there are small humans in the vicinity, he is tolerant of them and causes no harm.  He is a very good Boy Dog.  And he does not like to have his picture taken, he does not like to go in the bathrooms (he will do it in a storm because those are the darkest places and the places furthest away from windows and outside noises) and he practices selective hearing when Jody is trying to get him to do something.  He WILL eat anything he finds handy, from chicken poop to something dead in the yard, and it is not important HOW LONG it has been dead or how badly it might smell to you, he will eat it anyway.  He can wake us up at night with the sounds his stomach can make (quite often after he has eaten something dead) and no amount of pepto bismol pills will stop that noise.  He is a master farter, and it will make your eyes burn.  He is a leaner, he will just as soon lean up against you to be petted as to go for a walk.  If it was a toss up to getting petted and eating something dead in the yard, I am not sure which one would win out.  He loves to go for a ride in the truck with Jody, who provides a step stool for both ingress and egress.  He is old, just like both of us, and would not change a thing about him.

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

2014 - Day 160/205 - Monday...

Precarious Guy on Ladder:  Do you need to leave?
Me:  Why yes, that is why is an standing here with my car door open!
PGoL:  Okay, well we can stop for a minute so you can pull out.
M:  Well, if I pull out, I think I will hit the ladder and I don't want to dent my car.
PGoL:  No, that's okay, if you hit the ladder, I will just hang on to the tree.
M:  But I do not want to risk hitting the ladder, the ladder might fall, you could fall and one or both could dent my car.  I don't want to dent my car.
PGoL:  We do this all the time, you just think you will hit the ladder, it hardly ever happens.
M:  When is the last time it happened?
PGoL:  Last week, but before that it was a couple months ago.
M:  Are you insured?
PGoL: Not after last week.

I'm just sayin'.

Today was actually a good day.  Peaks and Valleys.  My first call was a valley, but then I got a peak when MOW called and asked if I could sub for them.  Then there was a valley when I was getting ready to go deliver meals and it was pouring down rain.  Then I determined that the rain was a peak, so everything pretty much worked out.  The rest of the day was kind of like that too.  For every valley there is a peak.

And now I am home, and that is a peak!

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

2014 - Day 159/206 - Sunday...

The geraniums are blooming beautifully this year, this is probably the best year we have had for geraniums.  I also noticed the gladiolas in the back are blooming as well.  The weeds are doing very nicely as well, since there is no grass!  And we have some peaches on the trees, too.  No apples, no plums, and I have not paid enough attention to the pecans to say one way or the other.

It was cloudy for all of the morning, and we even got a little bit of rain.  There was 0.12" in the gauge the last time I looked, so we were some of the lucky ones with the 10% chance of rain today.  The girls and I played another round of bug, chicken, tractor.  I believe that no bunnies or chickens were harmed in the cutting of the weeds today.  I am relatively confident in the previous statement concerning the chickens, somewhat confident in the statement of the rabbits, but nothing is guaranteed.  There have been a bunch of buzzards circling, but really I think they are just playing with the thermals.  It was interesting, I was out cutting grass (weeds) about Noon:30 and the winds shifted to the north and it definitely got cooler, about ten degrees cooler.  The next time I noticed, the winds were back from the south and it was getting warmer and the sun was breaking through.

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

2014 - Day 158/207 - Saturday...

There has been a lot of impersonating going lately; electronically and otherwise, but when one chicken starts impersonating another chicken for their own personal (chickenal?) gain and profit, there has to be a line drawn.  This particular girl was scratching around in the tall weeds when I was going out to check the meters.  She gave me that seductive and beguiling 'Vera' come hither look, and I started falling for her guile like a confused sailor guiding his vessel onto the rocks under the influence of some alluring siren.  Just as I was about to fall under the spell, Vera arrived on the scene, her chiffon gown all a flutter and cussing in chicken language at the other girl.  I was able to make out part of the discussion, something about "fasten your seat belts, it's gonna be a rough ride" or something like that.  Chickens give a whole new meaning to "scratching your eyes out" as well.  It is best not to mess with a chicken scorned, I'm just sayin'!

Okay, I just want everyone to know, I take and accept full responsibility for California Chrome failing to achieve glory and the Triple Crown.  I jinxed the whole thing.  I should never watched the race, I should have never taken an interest in it at all.  I should never have even acknowledged that I knew what a 'California Chrome' was.  It is all my fault, and I will (try to) never take any interest in any sort of sport (really, horses participate in sports?) again.

My bad!

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

2014 - Day 157/208 - Friday...

A selfie is a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone. Selfies are often shared on social networking services such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Tumblr. They are often casual, and are typically taken either with a camera held at arm's length or in a mirror.  I call this one Still Life with Bill & Emily at the new Facility... 

Today was a pretty great day if I do say so myself.  I did not get any extra sleep, but I did get to waste a little extra time doing the morning ritualistic kinds of things before heading off into the city.  I went directly to the Board (do not pass go, do not stops for stop signs, do not collect $200), for the new member orientation.  There were 147 new agents signed up for the orientation, and I am not sure how many actually attended, but it was a pretty good turn out.  One of our new members (Dan) is running for a position on the Austin City Council, place 5, and that is always great to have a REALTOR® colleague run for public office and jump on that advocacy train.  I will let you all know how this turns out.  Another friend of mine (not a REALTOR® colleague) is also running for a council seat (Jimmy) in place 9.  Interesting that I know a couple candidates in this HISTORIC (HYSTERIC) election.

After the orientation, I headed to our new Board facility (under construction) for a tour and a bar-b-cue lunch.  Does any one know the real spelling of bar-b-cue?  Please forward on to me and I will report in a later journal entry.  The folks joining us for lunch arrived in three waves, and I stayed for the whole thing.  I did not realize there were going to be three waves, and I did not eat three lunches, but it was a great tour of the building, and great to see all the folks!

I am not even going to discuss the fact that this is a Friday, but just be aware that I am not at all happy about that.

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

2014 - Day 156/207 - Thursday...

Honestly, it is a beautiful day in the neighborhood!  I took a couple photos of everyday types of flora that is around the house this morning.  Things that we basically take for granted.  Things we really pay little or no attention to, but if you look closely, they are amazingly complex living things.  I for sure cannot make one of the Cannas.  And why do you think it is that we cannot make artificial grass that actually looks like real grass?  We are kind of getting the synthetic flowers (rows and rows of them in various hobby shops) look like the real thing, but grass we do not seem to be able to conquer.  Anyway, if you think about it, take a second to stop and LOOK at the flowers,  I don't even care if you smell them, just look at them before you discount them.

I made it into the office this morning, then headed off to a meeting, then back to the office.  Tomorrow it will be meeting, meeting, lunch (meeting) then off to the office.  Good work takes time!

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

2014 - Day/210 - Wednesday...

This is a selfie of me and my BFF Birthday Girl Vicki taken before the Board meeting this morning.  Happy Birthday Mrs. D!  And for all the rest of you, I hope you enjoy the photo and can appreciate the radiant beauty of Vicki!

As reported in the previous paragraph, if this is the first Wednesday, it must be a Board of Directors meeting.  It was a really good meeting today, and I think a lot of good achievements were made, and there was also some realization of other work that needs to be accomplished to make our association even better.  I do not believe our work will ever be done, we can always make things better!

Tomorrow will be a mixed day of meetings (two) and working in the office to get some real estate work done.

But for now, I am planning on rewarding myself with some ice cream.  I have to make sure my priorities are straight!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, ICE CREAM, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2014 - Day 154/211 - Tuesday...

If you were paying attention this morning as I was driving down IH-35 into Austin while playing Words with Friends and posting my random observations as my Face Book status, I was annoyed in the middle of bumper-to-bumper traffic by the s/he (never did figure it out) behind me who kept creeping up to the back end of my car, flashing his/her bright lights and trying to get me to go faster.  I am not certain where s/he wanted me to go but it got worse and worse the further we went.  FINALLY s/he made a series of moves that effectively put him/her onto the left shoulder or the highway and then careened across three lanes of traffic (not an easy feat at 7ish in the morning) giving him/her access to the right hand shoulder where s/he raced off ne'er to be seen for the rest of the morning. 

And then there was this car, driven by an obviously proud city staffer, equally unconcerned about traffic courtesy and protocol, oh her way to wreak havoc with some unsuspecting property owner.  DO NOT MESS with the slum lords, go directly to someone who just bought the house and got a notice from the city that there is an open permit from 25 years ago that now needs to be closed.  Oh, and that means you have to bring the items on the permit up to current property codes.

And how was your day?  I actually had a pretty good day after I got to my office and out of my car.  And the ride home proved uneventful, so that is a good thing.

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

2014 - Day 153/212 - Monday...

I am getting to where I prefer Monday's over Friday's.  There has to be some diagnosis there, please feel free to discuss among yourselves, and let me know your findings.

I absolutely LOVE Butterfly Iris.  I have never been able to grow them (I can also kill Day Lilies telepathically) but I like them very much.  I planted three or four of these several years back and they did not survive the transplanting process.  I think they were actually pronounced dead during the ride home from the Depot.  I am not sure what it is, but some things I am just incapable of nurturing.  Now weeds on the other hand absolutely thrive under my lack of attention.  If you need to grow you some weeds, just send 25 cents and a self addressed, postage paid legal size return envelope and I will send you everything you need to know about the cultivation and proliferation of weeds.  Go ahead, you know you want to.  Wait, in case you are hesitating, come back to this journal entry later this evening after you have had a couple glasses of wine.  Drinking and dialing, it is becoming a national past time!

Today (as insinuated above) was a good day, full of accomplishments and the sharing of good ideas.  I wish every day could be like this one.

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

2014 - Day 152/213 - Sunday...

The chickens are happy, Jody is happy, I am happy.  Overall, not a bad day!

These are some of the roses that are blooming themselves into a stupor around the house.  I must say that the roses do not seem to be harmed at all by the extreme temperatures and drought conditions of the past several years.  Obviously some things thrive on abuse!

I did get to sleep in this morning, and Jody was actually up before I was, and when I finally got up, I was off to loose the chickens, bring in the paper, make some coffee and settle in for a bit.  It was a slow morning since there was no need to be anywhere at any specific time AND my helper was not going to be out today, so things could all slide for a while.  I did get the chicken coop cleaned and put fresh pine shavings in (most of) the nesting boxes.  There were three girls who chose not to give up their nests, so those three boxes got left out.  After that, I made sure there was fresh water everywhere, put out a fresh 'flock block' so Earl the Squirrel would not feel left out, and then hooked the shredder up to the tractor and massacred some of the higher weeds here and there and particularly up at the road.  Things look much less like Grey Gardens if I do say so myself.

Welcome to June by the way!  June looks like it will be a little more calm overall, and that will be a good thing!

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