2016 - Day 274/92 - Friday...

...and then this happened. I left for the office on Wednesday (I think) and returned to all these rain Lily's. Jody said that when he was taking the girl dog for a walk that morning, they were about an inch above ground level, and by the afternoon they were all in bloom. It seems to me that this particular crop is lasting longer than in general, although Jody says the do last for several days. I thought they had one big hurrah and that was it, but Jody says they can last for several days.

The end of the month already. The girls are on a new s hedge. For the last week, we have collected three eggs every other day. That is pretty close to what they averaged this month; 42 eggs for the month. A little over an inch-and-a-half of rain, and 2,135 pieces of spam in my in-box. Keeping track of things is a pox. If you need a statistic about anything, let me know, I probably have it, or have a source for it.

Welcome to October (almost).

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

2016 - Dy 273/93 - Thursday...

Today, I was in a class presented at the Austin Board of REALTORS®: Internet and Social Media Marketing. I have nothing against all that, but I just get hung up on the category of 'Social Media'. SOCIAL! I know this is going against the grain, but I am NOT opposed to knowing what all my friends had for breakfast or what their dogs have done, or when their kids start school. If I do not want to know that stuff, it just takes a mere nano-second for me to pass by it and go on to the next thing. That is okay with me. It is all the other stuff on the 'social media' pages that are beginning to be more and more of a selling tool. BUT, there are some things that I learned that I can do today that will be more fun than annoying, so I will be doing some of that in the future. Of course, I am not sure how  I cannot be annoying, since that is one of my favorite things to do. So, we shall see how that all turns out. This is a photo of Tosalyn (our Assistant at the office even though I would prefer it if her business cards said 'Administrative Goddess' because she is), me and Carrie (my business partner). I am pretty sure most of you already know all that stuff.

When I got home this afternoon, I watched a little bit of the news with Jody, and then we headed to the Crossroads Cafe in Schwertner for dinner. jody had a burger and I had a grilled cheese sammich, and we shared an order of onion rings.

See there? Social Media at its' best!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, MEDIA v MESSAGE, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2016 - Day 272/94 - Wednesday...

Another not terrible day. Started out with a visit to the dentist, where I got my teeths all cleaned up. Did not see the dentist because I had a 10 o'clock appointment in Austin, at the Austin Board of REALTORS®. Quarterly Governmental Affairs Forum, guest speakers Senator Kirk Watson (former Austin Mayor) and current Austin Mayor Steve Adler. Lots of our elected officials were there, along with a great showing of our members. We were also live-streaming the Forum, which was a first for us. We have had the technology, we just needed a chance to put our heads down and get it done. If that was not our first streaming Forum, I apologize, but whatever, we did it and I know many of our members attended broadcast. Austin and central Texas roads are in terrible need of improvement. The State needs to spend money on the Interstate, and the City needs to spend money on the local arteries. In the last 20 years, the City (the 11th largest city in the US) has approved spending a little over $600 million dollars, which is the largest reason we are where we are today. We cannot continue to think 'if we don't build it, they won't come'. They are already here. This is a photo of the Senator and me before the Forum began. Brothers from another mother! A very nice guy, and thanks for presenting this morning!

And then it was off to the office. My new office computer was installed this afternoon, updated my iPhone operating system, added virus software to my iMac, the new PC and to the iMac at home, and when I finish this post, I am going to upgrade the operating system to the iMac. If everything is going to go to Hell, it might as well all go at once.

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

2016 - Day 271/95 - Tuesday...

The calendar says it is Tuesday, but this morning seems like such a long time ago. There are not enough hours in the day, but the hours seem to go by slowly until you stop to breath and find out that it is almost your bed-time. It is not almost bed-time YET, but it will be soon. It is interesting to me that, even though the equinox was just last week, the darkness lingers to a very late time and the darkness (on the other side) approaches even more quickly. Daylight Saving Time does not even end until November 6th, about six weeks from now, and if it were up to me, it would not start back up again! Anyway, I am feeling relatively organized this evening, as evidenced by this Chicken propped up by the trays on the shelf in the office. Always keeping an eye on me, always watching, always lurking. Her little bug-eyes following me across the room whenever I enter...and no eggs, either.

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

2016 - Day 270/96 - Monday...

Really? This could not really be Monday could it? Well, except for the 'cluster' that they are calling the debates tonight, this has really been not such a bad day! When I got home this afternoon, I was doing all the stuff I do (CDO) and I realized there are Iris blooming in the circle of the driveway. The honeysuckle out the back door has been blooming for a couple weeks now. The Mexican Petunias are still doing nicely, and the cannas are still blooming here and there, but I think the plumeria has done all it is going to do. There are still a few blooms on the crepe myrtles, and there is an occasional lily blooming here and there, but that is pretty much it. The roses are still doing nicely, but they don't care about anything, really, they will just bloom their little hearts out, even after the first freeze. On the way home this afternoon, the thermometer in my car reported it was 69 degrees near the edge of nowhere. The official Bartlett temperature was 70 degrees, but that is still a blessing. I take my blessings wherever I can get them. This reprieve from the 90 degree temperatures is not expected to last much beyond the weekend, though, and we will be back to his in the 90s. I always say the weather will start to cool off AFTER the second week in October. I am usually more accurate than the prognosticators that get paid the big bucks.

A good day in the office, and I got a lot of work cleared off my desk (and moved it all to someone else desk), but it is off my desk.

Deeds, Action, Changes, IRIS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2016 - Day 269/97 - Sunday...

In the past 24 hours or so, we have received about a quarter-inch of rain, and there should be more rain in the next thirty minutes or so. The rain coming looks like it will be heavy but brief, maybe some lightning and thunder, which the girl dog hates, but we will make do. I did very little today, continuing my mission from yesterday which was to nap as much as possible, with only interruptions for absolute necessities and maybe a piece of chocolate or two.

Otherwise, things here on the edge of nowhere are going well, just trying to keep the girl dog calm and comfortable. I did a few little things (one of which had needed to be done for a couple years), so I think that is good. I also swept out the garage and Jody got a record three eggs out of the girls this afternoon.

Not bad for a cloudy and grey Sunday.

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

2016 - Day 268/98 - Saturday...

These are the strangest looking eggs. The girls are not really producing very many eggs these days, or this year for that matter. They may just be beyond their prime. So far this month, we have only gathered up thirty eggs from 16 chickens. Not a really good return. We are now considering whether or not we want to get more chicks next year. We think the threat of mauradering attack dogs from the neighbors is a thing of the past, and that might have had something to do with it, but chickens are a bit of responsibility, and we may just let them wind down and go away. We shall see. BUT, these are still odd looking eggs; so uniform. So perfect. So white. So manufactured. So pale when they are cooked. Jody says they tasted bland, I think so too, but according to the Googles, in a blind taste test, you could not tell the difference between our free-range chicken eggs and these that came from the HEB.

Who knows?

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

2016 - Day 267/99 - Friday...

My friend Queen Wienke (In Case of emergency, Don't Call 911; She IS 911) of Montgomery, Texas fame has (apparently) been consumed by watching HOARDING shows on television, and is reportedly on a full blown mission to de-nude herself of excess. I (personally) am all about excess, and I am the lucky recipient of (the heretofore unknown) Box 'O Crocs. Yes boys and girls, a BIG Box 'o Crocs arrived at the office today, gently handled by one of our gummints less well know public servants. There is really no reason to wrap Crocs for shipping, so there was no messy paper to peel through to behold the majesty of them all. So far, my faves are one of the orange pairs; a cross between pumpkin and sherbet. I will go through them all before too long, and I hope QW understands that they are in a better place! SMOOCHES!

Not only is this the first FULL DAY of Autumn (that's Fall to you Aggies), but we have also officially broken into the last 100 days of the year. Less than a hundred days to go, and I (unfortunately) think this has been the year of the dumbing-down. I certainly do not think I have learned anything significant this year, but at least I hope that I have maintained the status quo. Does anyone remember the movie Quo Vadis? See, that is how an attention deficit works. SQUIRREL!

Where are YOU going?

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

2016 - Day 266/100 - Thursday...

Jody and I (especially the I part) have been watching this house for the last couple months. When we first moved out here, I thought it was a really nice house. In the last six months or so, I have watched it fall into disrepair; and it seems to have happened really quickly. In about the last two months, a for sale sign went up in front of it. Then one day it looked as if they were going to do some siding repairs, then the porch roof was removed, and I thought they were doing some more expansive repairs. Then yesterday, the second floor was laying in the front yard. That is somewhat disquieting, and this is the photographic record of that occurrence. I am now wondering if they are moving the structure. It seems like a lot of bother if they are just going to tear it down. I will keep you posted.

Yessir, it is the first day of fall, the autumnal equinox. Daylight and dark are 'equal', and from here on out, for the next six months, the days will be shorter and the nights will be longer. Welcome! I welcome you with open arms and closed eyes! Now, nothing much could be better than that, except that we could dispense with Daylight Saving Time. What a waste. EXCEPT once a year I (supposedly) get to sleep in, but it never happens. The body clocks could not give a flip about Standard Time versus Daylight Saving Time, and (honestly) neither could I. Oh, bother!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, RE-PURPOSING, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2016 - Day 265/101 - Wednesday...

Leaving the house earlier today accomplished a couple things, but did not accomplish at least one thing. The ride to work was relatively uneventful for the most part, but it became interesting when I noticed that there was a city bus in the middle lane of the Interstate, and that is rather unusual. Usually the only buses you see on the Interstate are UT shuttles and the Express Buses. The bus was FULL of cops, and like I said on an earlier Facebook post, they were giddy inside the bus, bouncing back and forth like a bunch of pre-teen girls on a trip to the art museum and had just seen a rip-off on Michelangelo's David. Well, they were looking down into the passing cars (think creepy voyeuristic 18 wheel truck driver), ratting out those that were HOLDING their cell phones or other electronic devices. This is the second time they have done this in Austin. Before I actually saw them inside the bus (I decided to play with them a little bit and stayed next to them on their left hand side), I noticed the battalion of motorcycle and other cops pulling people over. If they weren't busy writing tickets, they were parked on the shoulder in sets of threes or riding down the road in sets of two. The two I rode beside for a while were basically gossiping, as far as I could tell.

ANYWAY...according to the newscast tonight, there were four officers on the bus (I do not believe that is an accurate report, not the stations fault), 96 tickets written and six warnings issued. I would expect this was all over a period of a couple hours. The first time they did this, there was a lot of crap on talk-radio about money, resources and man-hours, not to mention the distractions THEY were causing the drivers AND the wreck that had slowed us ALL down to a crawl.

I think we need to pass a law that 5 miles per hour is the same as a dead-stop. We shall see, there is always tomorrow.

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

2016 - Day 264/102 - Tuesday...

Today was wreck city...I really need to leave earlier, but the darker it is in the mornings, the longer I just want to stay in the bed. I left the house at 7:15 this morning, took two hours to get to the office. If I leave at 6:45, I can usually make it in and hour and 15 minutes. So...there was a wreck on the way in; firetrucks and ambulances passed on the left shoulder. When I finally got up to them, they were on the RIGHT side of the road, blocking a lane of traffic for a (what looked like a) minor accident that was totally contained on the shoulder. On the way home, it was double-jeopardy. An 18-wheeler carrying scrap metal was taller than the overpass it was trying to go under on IH-35 and the Cesar Chavez exit. That was a challenge. Then there was a tie up on MoPac heading north (everyone tried to avoid IH-35. Then when I got into Williamson County...well, never mind...just take my word for it.

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

2016 - Day 263/103 - Monday...

As threatened, here is the photo I took yesterday of the Ruellia Britannia (Mexican Petunias) that are growing up our mail box post out by the road. They are doing pretty nicely for something that I cut down with the lawn mower (almost) every chance I get. I kind of have a new respect for them in the last several weeks. They have really caught my attention with the ability to withstand all manner of climactic conditions and pesticides. I am going to let some of them alone (these and there are some more where Aunt Mary had the old well (still on the property) and the little tank out in the front. So, for now, life will be good for the Ruellias.

Today was a busy day...I got several items from my 'To-Done' list completed, and that was excellent. Then I taught a quick 2 hour class by distance from the Texas Association of REALTORS®. Then one quick meeting, several phone calls and I was headed home.

I have not mentioned this lately, but it is true; I am the luckiest man in the world!

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

2016 - Day 262/104 - Sunday...

Years ago, when we first moved to this house (on the edge of nowhere), Jody asked me not to kill the wild flowers that were growing around one of the trees, close to where Aunt Mary's house used to be. They bloom a little bit every year, and there are two or three of them blooming this year. Right now, Jody cannot think of the name of them, but I expect he will in a little bit, and if/when he does, I will let you know. The Mexican Petunias out by the road are still blooming nicely too, but this one little bloom won my heart and that is the photo of the day.

Kind of a busy day today; grass cutting this morning, then a nap, then appointments, then car wash (I have had the car about 30 months, and I think I average getting it washed about once every ten months), then to get some dinner for us to bring home. All in all, a pretty good day.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, FLARES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN

2016 - Day 261/105 - Saturday...

I waited too long to take the picture of the Ruellia Brittoniana (Mexican Petunias), and by the time I got out there, they had closed up. BUT this rain lily was blooming, even though we have not had any rain in over a week. That was interesting. The Mexican Petunias are a general nuisance around here, but they have been particularly pretty this year in a couple places; climbing up mail box posts and telephone poles, etc. I saw a really pretty display this morning on my way to an appointment, but again, I did not stop and take a photo. I will try and do better tomorrow.

I had a couple appointments today, and another appointment tomorrow. Mostly I tried to recover from a week of first world problems that I encountered last week, mostly with technology. Our phones came back to life yesterday, the DirecTV came back to life today. I think we are on the right track to once again claim to be flourishing in the 21st Century.

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

2016 - Day 260/106 - Friday...

To be perfectly honest with you, this was NOT the perfect ending to a (less than) perfect week. It took me over an hour to go 13 miles on the way home, but then it finally opened up and it was (relatively) smooth sailing.

I have dealt with a passel of bureaucratic quagmires this week; update is that the home phone (the antique land line) is back up and running. The television reception is still out, and they are estimating anywhere from 24 hours to NEVER to get those back on line. What a mess. They offer streaming service as well, but they seem incapable of providing that service as well, so we may be switching to another provider, which will create a domino effect of switching landlines service and cell services as well. I did not invent bundles, they did.

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

2016 - Day 259/107 - Thursday...

I admit it, I am relatively clueless. I got up this morning, did all my usual things, and then drove to the Highland Lakes Association of REALTORS® and got on a bus to teach the Advocacy Class to a bunch of their members. Part of the class was completed on the bus to our first stop, and the rest of the instruction was held under some really nice Live Oak Trees at the Garrison Brothers Distillery, somewhere in the Hill Country. I am not really sure where we were, basically because I did the whole bus ride backwards. I was not paying attention, I was guiding. After we left the distillery, we went to a winery somewhere (again, I am not sure Where we were) where we had lunch and enjoyed a wine tasting. If you know me, you know I did not participate A LOT in the wine tastings, but I got enough to whet my whistle, so all was well. We left there and went to another winery, where we had another round of wine tastings, and where I whetted my whistle all over again. The group consensus is/was that I an "earthy and soft". That might have been a reference to me, or it might have been a reference to one of the wines, but I wear the mantel proudly. Earthy and soft. I think it is pretty fitting for someone who professes NOT to have a clue! This photo was taken at the first stop, the distillery. Interesting stuff!

In other news, the edge of nowhere is experiencing a plethora of technical difficulties. We have not had local telephone service (yes, we have a land-line) for a couple weeks now. The said (via electronic messages) that they fixed it once, but they lied. Now they say it has been escalated and is a priority, and they will have it fixed tomorrow. We also have NO television since this morning. Three calls later (the last one took over an hour) and they have determined that it is a problem with their satellite (I really think they were just reading off a script), and that something should be done within 24 to 48 hours. And that whole conversation was conducted over my cell phone, with one bar. It is an AT&T conspiracy, I know it is. Do you see any patterns here? Jody and I are going to try and watch the news on my lap-top.

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

2016 - Day 258/108 - Wednesday...

I am so very proud that one of my colleagues is also a State Representative. It is not hard enough to be a REALTOR®, but to be a REALTOR® and a State Legislature is the true mark of an over-achiever. I was very happy to be at Celia Israel's fund raiser this evening, and to be able to present her a check on behalf of TREPAC, the Texas Association of REALTORS® Political Action Committee. It was a great event, and Celia deserves our support and endorsement. Onward to November!

And, that was almost the end of the day, but not quite. There was a lot of stuff in the beginning as well, but that was to cherry on the sundae.

Tomorrow I will go to the Highland Lakes Association and spread the advocacy word up there. It is gonna be a FUN bus ride!

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

22016 - Day 257/109 - Tuesday...

I do not usually think of myself as a hoarder, but there are benefits to tucking away things for another day. The other day I was looking in the closet in the office (I needed an old telephone cord to test the phone lines coming in to the house, the verdict was DEAD), and there were the cookies. They are now on the kitchen island, beckoning to me, and I expect that, between the two of us, one box will be half-gone before the new day arrives.

You should be reveling in this picture; my first choice was one of my boxers, knees, socks and Crocs. Rejoice!

A relatively good day in the office today, all things considered. A day of small accomplishments, which is perfectly okay with me. The next two days will be more robust, and I will be late getting home both days.

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

2016 - Day 256/110 - Monday...

I am getting further and further behind with my photo taking, and I find myself going back through photos that I took days ago that should be posted. I will try and do better. This was taken yesterday while Jody was taking the girl dog for a ride, and I was sitting in the back seat. She remains a camera shy girl, and that is something that I really don't understand!

It was a really busy day at the office, the first day back after being gone for most of the last week. Everything started with a 9 o'clock appointment in the office, and it was busy (crazily so) until I left the office at about 3:30.

I think things will chill out tomorrow and Wednesday, Thursday will be crazy, and not too sure about what Friday will bring yet.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, GIRL DOG, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2016 - Day 255/111 - Sunday, The Fifteenth Anniversary of 9/11...

Everyone will have their own way of observing this Anniversary, and I respect all of them.

I actually did sleep a little bit later than usual this morning, and it was after five o'clock this morning before I even pulled the covers up over me. It was a good sleep. I spent part of the day re-organizing everything so I will know where everything is before I start the new week. There are a couple things I still can't find, but it is not for the want of looking. A couple things I cannot imagine what I did with, but I will continue to look in the same places I have already looked to see if they magically appear there. I expect some of you know what I mean. This photo is one that I thought too good not to share. As you may remember, a group of us went to visit Terry and Dorothy on their boat on Friday night, and this was a view of the sunset from the dock. Very pretty.

Much of the grass got cut today, and a couple other chores around the house, and I did manage to get in a nap or two.

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

2016 - Day 254/112 - Saturday...

Back home! Perfect! Woke up this morning to rain in Galveston. And thunder. And lightning. Spotty showers and storms on the way through Columbus, and then it cleared up and relatively calm day of driving. It was a great conference, great to see friends and colleagues from across the state, but really nice to be home. This photo was taken while driving across the bridge leaving Galveston. I think this was (so far) my best visit to the island. I have been there for one other conference, Jody and I went for a weekend about 15 years ago or more, and I have departed on cruise ships (probably) four times, but this was the best visit in memory. It was fun!

Tomorrow will be a work day around the house, then back to work on Monday.

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

2016 - Day 253/113 - Friday...

OMG! What could possibly be better? You have a day, but at the end of the day, your inhibitions are reduced (thank you to the cheap Merlot), your appreciation of the simpler things in life are given more value than all the crap you put up with from the morning until the evening. It is our friendships and camaraderie that are important, not all the stuff that led to those friendships!  Totally. This evening, after a day or meetings and stuff, a group of us went and visited our friends Terry and Dorothy, on their boat (the Magic), that they had moored in Galveston. They were very gracious and welcoming, and we were very fortunate to be invited. Afterwards, we went to dinner (I was following, not leading) and we ended up in a very nice place that we actually 'shut down' with a little help from our friends. I do not have the ability to thank all those that made my day one of the best...but please know that I respect, adore and appreciate (dare I say I deeply care for) all of you!

You know who you are...

I know for sure that I am glad I chose to proof read this post before I published' it...

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

2016 - Day 252/114 - Thursday...

So...what this is, is my 2016 TREPAC pin (something that is sacred and very important to us TREPAC junkies) that fell off my lapel this evening, and (miraculously) landed in my wine glass. REALLY? Yep, that actually happened, and I did not even know it until I was going in for the last sip of wine, and there it was. The magnetic fastener was still on the back-side of my lapel, which was kine of another miracle. Not sure how that was possible, but it was.

Today was another FULL day of meetings and Forums, and it was a really good and interesting day. The day began at 8 a.m. and ended at at about 5:30 p.m., and then there was another function beginning at 7. A totally full and rewarding day!

Tomorrow, my day does not begin until 9, so I get to sleep in a little while longer!

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

2016 - Day 251/116 - Wednesday...

It is early evening here in Galveston, and I am doing this journal entry early since I will be leaving here in a few minutes to attend a YPN (Young Professionals Network) function at the Galveston Brewery. I think discretion dictates that I complete the entry before attending the function.

It was a busy day today, a full day of classes (Mediation NOT Meditation), then a couple quick meetings and then the opening session. Our main speaker for the opening session was J R Martinez, former USArmy soldier whose vehicle hit an IUD when he was 19 and went through months (maybe years) of rehab. He has made some major accomplishments since then, and is a motivational speaker across the country, and was the winner of a recent season of Dancing with the Stars. He is a great speaker, and during the meet and greet, I asked him to dance with me. I gave him the famous Ginger Rogers line "I'll do everything you do, only backwards and in heels." That cracked him up, and we danced...photos to follow on a future post.

Otherwise, it was just another normal day of learning, networking and appreciating.

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

2016 - Day 250/116 - Tuesday...

Again, I am a little bit confused about what day it is. Okay, I know it is Tuesday, but I have to think about it for a second or two. I got started a little bit early this morning, and I was in the office just after 8 o'clock. A little it of power real estate, and I was on the road just a little bit after 11 a.m. I made it to Galveston just before 4 p.m. and checked in to my Hotel. I got settled and then met up wit some folks from Austin to attend the Women's Council function at a place called Bayside at Water-something. I can't remember. What I remember most is the mosquitoes. Several years back, we had another outside function in Galveston, and the mosquitoes were monumental. Worthy of a medal for size and tenacity. But everything worked out well, and we all survived. This is the view from my room, not too shabby.

Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day. Registration at 7 a.m., A class starts at 8:45 until about 4 p.m., opening sessions and a few more meetings, and then a full evening of social events.

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

2016 - Day 249/117 - Labor Day...

Happy Labor day to everyone. I labored and got six out of seven things on my 'to-done' list accomplished. I did a couple other things, too, things that were not on the list. One thing already on my list for next weekend is to wash the windows in the office. I have been on a wasp-killing tirade and wasp deterrent spray has run down the windows. I learned a couple weeks ago that washing windows is not something to fear. I actually did a pretty good job of it on the breakfast room windows, so I will tackle the office windows at a later date. Jody and I also took the girl dog for a ride this afternoon. She spent most of the ride in my lap in the back seat, and she is still not keen about having her picture taken.

We went into Georgetown later in the afternoon and had lunch, and we beat the rain storm back to the edge of nowhere. About thirty minutes after we got home (I was vacuuming the car), it rolled in and there was just a little bit of rain bat a LOT of thunder. That set the girl dog off and she curled up in the dark behind one of the chairs and stayed there for a couple hours. All is clear, and she has re-emerged.

Gonna be a busy and fun week. Time to start thinking about packing. Don't want to get too crazy, there is still time.

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

2016 - Day 248/118 - Sunday...

Everybody calm down. Chill out. Everything is back to normal. I was home this morning and made a pile of eggs for me and Jody, the world is once again spinning on its' appropriate axis, and we did not receive any rain on the edge of nowhere. That seems like back to normal to us. We even had little scones from Panera Bread as a side item (not mixed in with the eggs). I told Jody I would eat the leftover slop for dinner tonight, but we had leftover chicken instead. All is right with the world.

I actually did some work today, I went and walked one property to do an assessment (long story but bottom line they breached the lease, and these are always long and interesting stories) and then I headed onto the office and got some good work done while it was quiet and no disturbances. Those are the best kinds of accomplishments, quick and satisfying.

One more day off for the long-weekend, and then an very abbreviated week of getting stuff done before I head to Galveston for four nights. Gonna be an intense week of classes, seminars, meetings and camaraderie. Just my cup of tea!

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

2016 - Day 247/119 - Saturday...

What in the hell was I thinking? Why would anyone want to mess with success? For the past six or eight years, every day that I am home in the mornings (not going to work or stuff like that), I have made a pile of eggs. I have deviated from the norm on occasion to include bacon or biscuits or something like that, but I have been experiencing a hankering for spam and corned beef hash, stuff that contains a whole lot of sodium and artificial ingredients. I needed a chemical fix; you know, Better Living Through Chemistry and all that stuff. Anyway, during the last week I made a stop one afternoon at the HEB and walked out with two (I can very seldom if ever buy one of anything) cans of corned beef hash, and decided that I use it in the breakfast egg pile this morning. I did consult Jody prior to that adventure, and it was approved. To begin, I underestimated the size of the skillet I would need, or underestimated the volume of all that corned beef. But that part of it survived the process. It turned out like you might imagine the slop on Big Brother, although I had never thought badly of being confined to slop-for-a-week.

But Jody decided it was not one of my better creations, and some thought will be needed before I open the remaining can.

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

2016 - Day 246/120 - Friday...

A year ago (apparently) I was in Fort Worth, Texas, attending the Texas Association of REALTORS® Annual Convention. At least, according to the photos stored on my iPhone. I had no photos today to share with you, so I thought I would take a stroll (in this case a roll) through memory lane to see what I could find. It also seems that I (and I do have some vague recollection of this) was having an on-going issue with the room attendant about the papier du toilette. It seems the roll was placed in an awkward spot (not an instinctive placement as I recall) and I chose to remove the roll for easier access. The room attendant those NOT to take part in my ergonomic correction of the cuarte de banos, which commenced four days of passive aggression on both our parts. I am not sure of the outcome, but I will take the high road here and accept that I won the fight, and lived to wipe another day!

This starts the Labor Day weekend, and I am happy about that. Three days (mostly) off from going to the office, although I will go in on Sunday to process rent checks.

And then Tuesday afternoon I will be off to this year's Annual meeting. Yippee!

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

2016 - Day 245/121 - Thursday...

It is the everyday things in life that we speed past without really noticing. Like this little hand that is laying in the console of the car. I remember where and when I acquired it, but it had been a while since I had seen it. It worked its' way back to the top of the pile somehow this afternoon, and it was worth a second glance. Enjoy!

It is raining right now, and the girl dog refuses to set foot (any of them) outside. he is terrified not only of thunder and lightning, but it seems she can also work herself up into a dither about rain as well. I tried to explain to her that the birds outside should be more concerned about rain than she, but she does not see the reason in that argument.

We had gutters replaced on the house late last year when we had the house painted, and it seems there were some deficiencies in the installation. SO...we are having some repairs made to the system, some of them will be paid for by the original installer, and I am having a few things added to (hopefully) make the system more appropriate for the property. I spent an hour and a half with the gutter guy this evening, and we finished just as it started raining.

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