2016 - Day 335/31 - Wednesday...

Please exercise some patience. Not Patience the drag queen from Memphis, patience as in the virtue. Patience with the next several days of journal entries, because, as I reported yesterday gentle readers, yesterday was a really fun day and there are LOTS of documentation floating around the Interwebs. And no, the Interwebs are not necessarily my friend. Oh that I could retrieve some of those photos, not THOSE kinds of photos...just photos of me in various (usually) fundraising poses. Anyway, yesterday was a lot of fun. After I left the ABoR Habitat Blitz Build, I got a (little bit) cleaned up, and headed to the Dart Bowl to celebrate mine, Cathy's and Diane's 65th birthdays (all of which come up in December). It seems I am the oldest of the three (by a matter of days), and we put on a TREPAC Fundraiser to celebrate our (respective) old-ages. It was a blast, and I have experienced vague recollections of the events throughout the day today. Most of the parts I remember are lots of fun, the only bad part was the spilling of my FIRST glass of wine, but Jim and Jacob came to the rescue. Anyway, there will be lots of photos for you to laugh at, but this is one of the favorites!

It is supposed to get chilly here tonight, and I have rebuilt the fire in the stove. I do not expect there will be any freezing overnight, inside or outside.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, BOWLING, Kindnesses, Wh
irled Peas, FUN!

2016 - Day 334/32 - Tuesday...

What can I possibly say about this day? That all the days to follow will pale in comparison? That all the days to follow will try (and not succeed) to live up to the fabulousness of this day? I could say those things, and some of them might be true, but I have had better days than this, and I will have worse days that this (maybe tomorrow). Today was a great day, and I am thrilled to have been breathing to be a part of it!

I am blessed to have lived through such a great day, and I had dozens of photos to choose from for this post, but I chose this one...me with a staple gun, working (in my limited capacity) to help with a Habitat for Humanity Build sponsored with the Austin Board of REALTORS®.

Thanks for everything you all do for me on a daily basis.
Deeds, Actions, Changes, HAPPY, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2016 - Day 333/33 - Monday...

This might not look like much of a problem to you city folks, but when the wind blows three or four (dead) trees onto the fence, hence onto the road, it could become a bigger project than had otherwise been expected. To begin with, I had no idea the trees were dead. The leafed out and bloomed earlier this spring, and I thought they had just dropped their leaves because it was that time of the year. Jody says they did not do very well at all this year, it just goes to show you how much attention I was paying. They were the Hawaiian Princess trees, a specie that IS NOT NATIVE to this area, and (probably) should have never been planted here to start with. There has been a lot of that on the property when we bought it, but now and then we find something else badly suited for Texas weather, and it is just a matter of time. Even Texas natives have been having a difficult time coping with the heat, drought and flooding that is common here.

Otherwise, it was a Monday. Nothing terrible, nothing glorious, just a Monday, made more interesting by the four-day-weekend.

Be sure to tune in tomorrow, it will be an interesting post.

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

2016 - Day 332/34 - Sunday...

Well, we are officially (kind of) back to the throngs of the middle class. Jody bought eggs at HEB last week. The girls have just quit laying. I attribute the lack of production to old age. I am not sure how old the girls are, but (apparently) they are old enough that they have given up all their store of eggs. There will not be (however) and chicken soup from these girls. They will just pass into the other side when their time comes, and we will need to decide if we want more chickens or not. The price of eggs at the HEB certainly is not an indicator that we should get more chickens; each egg we got from the girls cost the equivalent of $39.95, when you take the time, feed, nurturing and housing into account. These are free range girls, and they have lived a good life. We shall see come spring time, but I am kind of leaning against more chickens. Can you tell which of these eggs were the store bought ones? Okay, I'll give you this clue, the cracked egg (that I could not get out of the crate) is one of the store bought eggs.

I got a few things done around the house today; I got the grass up by the road cut, cattle fed, kept the fire going in the stove, and a lot of this-and-that.

Tomorrow will be another day of work and this will be an interesting week. Tuesday I will be volunteering with the Austin Board at a Habitat for Humanity Blitz Build. Tomorrow we start, and the house should be done by December 16th.

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

2016 - Day 331/35 - Saturday...

The Holiday lights (up by the road that stay up all year long) have been plugged in, the wasps have been annihilated, and all is well with the world. I did not even need to string any supplemental lights this year. I am a multi-colored light kind of guy, not so much into clear or all-one-color lights. Multi-color is the only way to go. I cut the grass in the girl dogs' yard, and watched a multitude of birds bathe in the little bowl out on the patio. Jody filled the bowl up a couple times, but they just splashed it out as quickly as he could get it re-filled.

Today was 'Shop Small Saturday', and I always make a trek to my friend Jill's store in Pflugerville (Ruffles & Rust). I got a really nice picture frame, and if you have a chance, I highly recommend it. Tell them Billy Bob sent you. Next weekend we are going to have dinner with some friends in Georgetown, and I expect we will walk the square and (probably) drop a few dollars at the smaller stores there.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, ITTY-BITTY-BIRDS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2016 - Day 330/36 - Friday...

We stayed in Austin last night and got up this morning a little bit later than usual and headed back to the edge of nowhere. It was a beautifully sunny day in Austin, and when we got to Round Rock, the skies started getting greyed and gloomier, and by the time we got home, it had been raining a little bit on us. As of now, we have about 0.23" of rain in the gauge, and we have not seen the sun since we left Austin. I actually built a fire in the stove, and that took the chill off the house, and that was nice. The mail did not come until after 4 o'clock this afternoon, so I guess the carrier was backed up from the day off.

After the dinner and desserts of yesterday with Michael, Lynda and Josh, I abstained from much food today. I had a bagel for breakfast, a bagel for lunch and Jody and I just had a turkey sandwich for dinner. And the answer to the unspoken question was 'yes, I would like pie and it is up to you what kind'. As I write this, I can hear Jody in the kitchen putting pie on a plate, and I won't be disappointed, which ever kind of pie it is.

After we returned home this morning, we only left the house to take the girl dog for a walk and for me to bring firewood into the house.

Lovely.

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

2016 - Day 329/36 - Thanksgiving Day...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, we hope you all had a great day, got your fill of turkey, football and HGTV. We did. We got started this morning with a pile of eggs, and a call to Randy and Irene to make sure they were home so we could take them a pie. Our friend Mikey called from Florida, and that was really nice, making sure there was Holiday cheer from (almost) coast-to-coast. We took pie to Randy and Irene, and pretty much turned around and drove in to Austin. Nap time, then a walk around the neighborhood, and then off to dinner with Michael, Lynda and Josh. We are totally sated, and getting ready to crash for the night. The photo is of a Thanksgiving card we received from our friends Bruce and Melody in Connecticut. Melody is (among other things) quite an artist, and this card is of her design. She and Bruce even sent us a variety of fall leaves to go along with the card. They know we have no real seasons in central Texas!

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

2016 - Day 328/37 - Wednesday...

And so it begins. The eve of the Thanksgiving weekend, otherwise known as the lost weekend of Pi. The day started off quietly enough, especially since the traffic congestion (at least going southbound) was at a minimum. I made it to the office in near record time, and began to clean my desk of the various piles of paperwork. By 9:30 I was back on the road, running a couple errands and then made a stop (premeditated) at Costco to purchase pies. A lot of pies. They all fit in the back end of the car, but it was like a mah-jong puzzle back there, and for the rest of the day my car smelled like Pie. As of this writing, we have decreased the number of pies considerably, but there will be plenty of pie for everyone if you need any pie. I am thinking of bacon-wrapped-pie. It could be the next big thing.

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

2016 - Day 327/39 - Tuesday...

It was a beautiful sunset this morning, and that was the best it got. Clouds moved in, and not even pretty clouds, just low clouds and overcast grey skies. I had a few dribbles of rain on the way into the office, and few dribbles here and there, and a few dribbles on the way home and while I was walking the girl dog. The prognosticators are prognosticating rain over night, maybe some thunder about 3AM, most likely interrupting my slumber with girl dog whining and wanting to be under the covers. It will all be okay. I am still the luckiest man in the world.

Tomorrow will be the day that I join all the rest of the world at Costco to buy stuff. It will be okay, I expect to be there shortly after ten, and back in the office not later than noon. I don't mind a good walk, but I should not have abandoned the FitBit.

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

2016 - Day 326/40 - Monday...

Getting caught up is an ongoing effort on my part. I am pretty well caught up with office and real estate things, it is the other things that I continue to fall behind on. When I get home and go through my piles of mail, I just stack the magazines and things in a pile, the most recent on the bottom. I thin try to work my way through the pile. Tonight at dinner, I went through three copies of the Austin Business Journal, all dated in October of this year. It was not unusually at all to be reading old news, it is kind of the same thing I experience on a daily basis with the Austin American-Statesman. Since they moved their printing facility out of town, there in nothing in the morning paper that happened after 4:30 the previous afternoon. I pulled that time out of my a*s, because I have no idea what their cut-off time is, but I know for sure, if UT plays a night game, the score is not reported until two days later. All the news that's fit to print will be printed with a 36 hour delay. I understand I could read the paper on-line, but I am old and blind, and viewing the newspaper on my personal electronic devices makes everything even SMALLER than the printed version.

I think I am in a no-win situation here.

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

2016 - Day 325/41 - Sunday...

Today was a great day. Jody and I got up early and decided we would try to beat the crush of people at the Frisco Shop and have breakfast. Apparently, there is no crush of people at the Frisco Shop at 8AM on Sunday mornings. We guess that the city people stay in bed longer (or maybe they were all attending mass), which made for a relaxed breakfasting experience this morning. Then I was off to the 20th Annual Empty Bowl Project, held this year at the NEW Central Texas Food Bank (fka the Capital Area Food Bank). The new facility is overwhelming, modern and functional, and should meet the demands of the 'food uncertain' members of our community for some time to come. The Project this year was a great success from all appearances, but the numbers and the totals are not yet ready to be announced. The startled look on my face is not so much that of anticipation to be the winning bidder for this fabulous Nancy Hallmark bowls (Nancy is one of my favorites), but more of the realization that I had just spent about six hours in the Texas Fall Sun, and everything from my next up is crispy. Ears, face, lips. Crispy.

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

2016 - Day 324/42 - Saturday...

Tonight was the Preview Party for the Twentieth Anniversary of the Austin Empty Bowl Project. The years have flown by, and it is hard to believe I was sponsoring this for that long a time. The Empty Bowl Project event will actually be tomorrow, so if you happen to be in the neighborhood, be sure and check it out. The event will be at the new Central Texas Food Bank, on Metropolis Drive. The preview party was great, and there were lots of good friends there, and plenty of bowls to be previewed. The silent auction tomorrow has some great bowls in it as well. I will reprise my role tomorrow as the 'trash man', so that should be reason enough for you to come by. I tend to be totally inappropriate, so if you need some cheap entertainment, this will be the place! This is a photo of me and Jody at the Preview Party.

Earlier this morning, we got a cord of wood delivered, and that is a LOT of wood. It will be a good start on the season, so now we just have to wait and see how cold it gets and how cold it stays for how long. The prognosticators do not seem to think it will be a really hard winter.

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

2016 - Day 323/43 - Friday...

Last night I thought I was SOOOOO smug...I was staying in Austin because I had returned from San Antonio and I had a 6:30 appointment. Staying in Austin was the smart thing to do. I would be able to sleep in because my first appointment this morning was not until 10AM (guiding a class at ABoR), but I would sleep a little later and head to the board about 9 o'clock, just to be calm, cool and collected. And then it hit me. I did not have my book for the class. So, I got up early (earlier than I had anticipated), went into the office, did some power real estate, cleared my desk and went back to the board to conduct the class. The class was a good one, I had a lot of fun and I accomplished my goal; everyone in the class learned something! That all I can ask for, make sure there is some useful information imparted for those attending. After the class, I headed back to the office and got some more work done and headed home early.

When I got home, I cleaned up an area for the fire wood delivery we are expecting tomorrow morning. Never pass up a good load of oak and pecan firewood, especially if you can get them to deliver and stack it. I am trying to be smarter and not work harder in my old age.

AND, if you do not have any plans for the weekend (Sunday particularly), might I suggest you consider attending the Austin Empty Bowl Project? It is an annual deal, I have been a long time participant, and it is really (another) very worthwhile community effort in Austin. Go to www.austinemptybowl.org and get all the details. I hope you will try to make it. If you do, you will want to make it one of your new traditions.

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

2016 - Day 322/44 - Thursday...

I got up this morning at about 4:45 and was heading out the door at 5:30 to get to my 9 o'clock class in San Antonio. My original plan was to leave at 6, but leaving early gave me a chance to stop in San Marcos and charge. I would have had plenty of charge to make it home, but I prefer to be safer than sorrier. As it was, I made it home (to Austin) with 100 miles of range left, and that was terrific. It took me longer to get from the Austin city limits to the condo than it did to get from I-10 in San Antonio to the Austin city limits. I left San Antonio at 3:30 and made it to the condo at about 5:45. CRAY-CRAY. AND, I have never had so many rocks hit my car at various places on the drive back to Austin. CRAY-CRAY!

The class was good and it was fun to see a lot of my colleagues that I have not seen for a while. I sat with a good friend Mary Ann and her husband Ed. There was a test at the end of the class (not an exam), and I am plagued with test anxiety. If you have some spare time sometime, I will tell you the story about taking my Broker's Exam. We reviewed the test (not an exam) after we all finished, and I am pretty confident that I passed (although I don't think I made 100%). I know FOR SURE I got one wrong, and the correct answer is "manager".

CRAY-CRAY!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CRAY-CRAY, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2016 - Day 321/45 - Wednesday...

My day was certainly NOT as bad as some peoples (specifically the person that was killed trying to cross IH-35 on foot this morning). But perhaps my day WAS worse than some other folks, specifically anyone whose commute was LESS than three hours this morning. That could be, or at least it could be a tie, for a record long commute. Again, I am not complaining (because I AM the luckiest man in the world), but it was a challenge. IH-35 Southbound was closed to all traffic for about four hours, and there are only two other alternatives if you want to go south, and they were all jammed packed. ANYWAY, I had already planned to stay in Austin tonight because I have to be in a class in San Antonio tomorrow, and that just reinforced my decision to get that much ahead of the drive tomorrow. So, it is kind of fun, foraging around here for food. SO far I have had a bagel and a frozen enchilada dinner. I will mix up something else later, but for now, I am happy as a clam!

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

2016 - Day 320/46 - Tuesday...

We are (it seems) working our way up to the Holiday Season. It seems there are more and more events being planned, and there is not enough time for all the mixers and open houses in December, so it is spilling over into November. I can't wait to start celebrating the Holidays before Halloween. We were all distracted this year by the elections, but as soon as that was put to bed, Christmas was in full swing! Tonight, it was fun to attend a REALTOR®/Affiliate event at the Austin Board of REALTORS®. It was a lot of fun, there was some good food, and I had a couple glasses of wine before the drive home. Good friends, good times and good purposes all in the same place. Good job!

Driving home in the dark the last couple days (nights) Hornsby. I am a big fan of his piano. Tonight it was Joe Cocker, Joni Mitchell and Michael Jackson. Interesting mixes, but it was fun, especially the Joni Mitchell bits. It took me back to less harried (conscious) times.
has given me an opportunity to listen to some old favorites. Loudly! Last night it was Bruce

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

2016 - Day 319/47 - Monday...

Last Tuesday, in addition to other things on the ballots from here and there, was an initiative for a transportation bond for the City of Austin. $720,000,000. Seven Hundred Twenty Million Dollars. That is a lot of dollars, and the unfortunate truth is, that will be a good start, it will not solve the terrible traffic and congestion problems that are plaguing our city (reaching all directions in central Texas and even encroaching on the edge of nowhere). Seven Hundred Twenty Million Dollars. In the past 20 years, the voters in the City of Austin (voters being the bosses) have approved +/- $620,000,000 for infrastructure and transportation. There, that is the problem. We are thirty years behind the curve. But, the proposition passed, and lo and behold, it seems not everyone in the MSA needs or wants a pickup truck anymore. The old adage of "If we don't build it, they won't come" is not a true representation OR an accurate description of the will of the people. SO, the proposition passed in the 60/40 range (I believe, don't quote me on that). It was not a squeaker. I hope things will start moving forward, and there will be some relief at least in the next seven to ten years. This  is a photo of the Mayor Of Austin, Steve Adler, at a reception that was held for the transportation bill passing, tonight at the Austin Board of REALTORS®. It was worth all the effort that went into it.

The moon is really big tonight (again), and it is really fun to look at. There are a couple down sides to it, one is that I have hairs growing out of a wart that I did not even know there was a wart there, and the second is that the coyotes out here on the edge of nowhere are going ballistic. They are totally howling at the moon like a bunch of banshees.

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

2016 - Day 318/48 - Sunday...

I was able to work a couple naps into the schedule today, but today proved mostly to be a day of getting chores done around the house. I got everything on my 'to-done' list accomplished, except for getting some grass cut. I did also add a few items to the list, so that was a good thing. I took three bales of hay out to the cattle late this morning. I had intended to only take two bales out to them, but the first bale pretty well disintegrated before I could get it to the hay ring, so that was just an extra one for them. They did not seem to mind, and they are certainly not starving, but we have PLENTY of hay; I expect we have at least three hundred round bales. With the rains we have had this year, EVERYONE has hay...so no one is looking for hay, and I am being very generous with the cattle. Since we are now officially in a La Nina period, I expect we will be needing hay in the coming months, and I will have more than we need. We may need to share some hay with the neighbors, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Otherwise, I enjoyed the day, just putzing around the property.

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

2016 - Day 317/49 - Saturday...

None of this was our fault, none of it. It was the Uber driver's fault, all of it. There should be a limit of how many people you can cram into the back seat of a BMW, and I am pretty sure we exceeded it. And I am pretty sure that the cop at our final destination believed it as well. We were innocently minding our own business (this was last Saturday) when an innocent looking Uber driver was dispatched to pick us up (from somewhere) and take us someplace else. I remember where we were dispatched to, but not really sure where we were dispatched from. Anyway, we made it and as we were de-autoing from the vehicle, the driver decided she would proceed to her next call, while we were still de-autoing. That is what first drew the attention of the gendarme, who chastised the driver with some very strong words while we continued on to our destination on foot.

And a good time was had by all.

The photo is much more interesting than the evening was.

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

2016 - Day 361/50 - Friday...

More evidence of confusion in all things, the lilies are still blooming, more iris are blooming, and the weather is forecasting temperatures in the 80s next week. I cannot keep up. We did turn the heat on for one side of the house this morning, but I do not expect it will be put to too much work in the near future. I am going to try and get some firewood this weekend or next (from my secret firewood place). I would happily share the location with you but then I would have to hurt you.

The end of another week, and I had a good (overall about a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10), but that is better than many peoples evaluation of their previous week. I am a lucky guy!

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

2016 - Day 315/51 - Thursday...

We should all be pleased to know that the clouds parted and the sun shone for at least a little while today in central Texas. It was lovely after several days of clouds and rainy conditions. And, as expected, the sun did also set in the west as it is wont to do and is documented by this electronic depiction. Life is going on and we are (so far) none the worse today that we were on the day of your choice last week. I do know that some of you, dear readers, may have had personal tragedies in your lives between last week and now, but that is not of which I speak. You know what i mean, so let's just get on with things.

I reserve the right to my own opinions, if you ask me my opinion of you, I hope I respond that it is none of your business. The only thing that is important is that we be polite and kind towards one another, except in traffic where all bets are off.

Otherwise, FCS, just be nice.

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

2016 - Day 314/52 - Wednesday...

Even the fig trees are confused. It is (almost) the middle of November, and there are figs on the tree out by the circle. Grey and overcast all day today, the ground is saturated, chickens are unhappy, cattle seem fine, only see brief glimpses of the cat, the girl dog hasn't got a clue, Jody went to lunch this afternoon with a good friend of ours, and for what it is worth, the world continues to spin on its' axis. The temperatures have moderated somewhat; I am not even sure that we got out of the 60s today, which is much more typical for us. Nice breezes from the north, turbines are spinning, heat has not been turned on yet, but we did turn Jody's foot warmer on last night.

I will sleep better tonight, I will try to be a kinder and gentler person. A guy in a pick-up truck cut me off as I headed to the expressway from the office. I was angry, wanted to shout, and then I decided he was not an idiot, merely confused.

Like the figs.

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

2016 - Day 313/53 - Election Day...

Did you know that, for every ten degrees the ambient exterior temperature drops, the tires on your car can lose three pounds of pressure? In my case, that means the exterior temperature dropped by about 434 degrees. Maybe my math is not accurate on that...maybe it was a drop of 43 degrees, but the bottom line is that I had to stop and get air in my tires today, and they were consistently about 13 pounds too low. Who knew? I know that when it cools off, that happens, and maybe it is a good thing that they all went down the same amount...I think that means that I don't have a nail in one tire, but maybe I have a nail in all four tires. Whatever...

Election day. I will be glued to the television starting in about thirty minutes. No matter how it goes, you will not hear or see me complain publicly. I did not do it leading up to the election, and I will not do it after the election. In private is another matter.

I hope you all voted.

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

2016 - Day 312/54 - Monday...

I met up with my friend (and obvious part-time contortionist) John in the airport this morning, and he was wearing his TREPAC socks. He had talked about them a couple times during the NAR Conference, and there he was with them on this morning. I love those socks! I have gone through MANY pairs of them, and they are enjoyed by folks across the country. Funny how things take on a life of their own!

It seems fall has arrived in central Texas. It was warmish in Orlando, but pleasant. Here is Austin (ish), it is overcast, cool, rainy and definitely fall like. The short term forecasts call for more rain, high temperatures in the high 60s, low 70s, so that will be very nice.

Tomorrow is the day!

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

2016 - Day 311/55 - Sunday...

Between this and that, and all the other stuff, it was a great conference and I will be glad to get home tomorrow. It was an early day today, and another late night, but as always, it was all worth it. The day/night ended with a trip the the Universal Studios theme park. We rode the 'other' Harry Potter ride (a different one from the last time I was here), and then we did a crazy roller coaster. Straight up, straight down, sideways and upside down. It was fun, I can cross it off my bucket list, and what would have been the worst that could happen?

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

2016 - Day 310/56 - Saturday...

Honestly, I did so many things today, attended so many meetings and forums, so many networking opportunities, and it was all topped of with a special event at Orlando Eye (?) and then a private party at BB Kings. I am the luckiest man in the world, and I expect there were about 150 or 200 photos taken today, and the last one is better and more fun than the one before it. I attended a Professional Development Committee meeting this morning, I had lunch with Ty Burrell (see Modern Family and Phil Dunphy, REALTOR®), then went to a trade show, then to a Focus Group, then I listened to General Colin Powell speak, then a private event, then another private event. HOWEVER, the icing on the cake was when my friend Jennifer offered me her tiara (granted I had to ask for it), and I have to tell you that was the very best thing that capped of a really great day. I have a variety of tiaras, and I will treasure this one for years to come. Thank you Jennifer!

What could be better than meeting with colleagues from across the country, working to make our professional association a better one today than it was yesterday, and having a blast doing it? Nothing. Today was a great day!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, TI
ARAS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2016 - Day 309/57 - Friday...

Today was a really busy day. My first meeting was at 8AM, and things concluded at about midnight. It was not all work, but there were three committee meetings, a forum and then a nice dinner. It was great to be hanging around colleagues (again from all parts of the country) as well as my local colleague peeps. Old friends, new friends, and friends I have not made yet. This was a photo from pretty much the end of the evening, my friends Steve and Brandy, calling it a night.

Tomorrow my first meeting is not until 10AM, so that is really a luxury. I expect I will be up relatively early, so not really an issue...just no need to set my phone alarm to wake up at a certain time.

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

2016 - Day 308/58 - Thursday...

IT seems that I am staying at a rather POSH place in Orlando, where I am attending the NAR Annual Conference. This particular fish was not tremendously photogenic, and the camera certainly did not add ten pounds to it, but (apparently) it was yummy-good, according to one of my table mates (Marion) from Dallas. AND, apparently it is a vegan fish. I never know there was vegan pork, vegan bacon, vegan roast beef. I always thought vegan food was not be for me, but this vegan stuff was/is kind of tasty. Especially the vegan bacon. It was a great dinner, great to meet with colleagues from across the country that I only get to see at these meetings. It is just beginning, my first committee meeting is tomorrow at 8AM, but at least I will not have to go very far to attend.

Apparently I am confused again about what day it is. I keep being reminded that today is Thursday, but I am having a challenge convincing myself that it is NOT Wednesday.

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

2016 - Day 307/59 - Wednesday...

Where else but in Austin do people decorate the telephone poles? This is not just a random act of stupidness, this is all up and down South First Street and maybe others. This is most likely not done in the dark of night, because these vandals are likely stoned out by 8 o'clock (I know I usually was), so they have to be doing this in the daytime. But, this one in particular caught my eye on the way to lunch this afternoon. AND, where exactly do you get half-a-hippo? And if you don't find half-a-hippo somewhere, where is the other half of this hippo? It is not on the other side of the pole, the other side of the pole was decorated with some kind of floppy bunny rabbit that looked less like the energizer bunny and more like a dogs toy that had lost its' squeak several years ago.

But I digress.

More record breaking temperatures today, not sure what the high temperature was, but we did record a Trace of rain overnight. Not sure you can record a trace, but that is what I called it. More rain (or some rain) in the next couple days is possible, and we are still awaiting the 'cool' front that is supposed to lower the temperatures and the humidity in one fell swoop (or one swell foop, take your pick).

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

2016 - Day 306/60 - Tuesday...

It is the first day of November, and we recorded record heat in central Texas today. 91 degrees. Supposed to be a more seasonal temperature towards the end of the week, highs only in the 80s. There were Iris blooming in the yard last week, the roses are still going full tilt, many the wild flowers however have given up the ghost. We had 0.13" of rain in October, but that is about three times the amount of rain they recorded in Austin. Crazy damn weather. Everything is out of whack, not just politics. There are two different lilies blooming up in the front of the property, and the bees in the water meter box are having a hey day. Buzz, buzz, buzz. This is a photo of one of the lilies. We saw lots of flora similar to this while we were in Hawaii.

I am about finished reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. It took me a while to figure out what it is about, but I am enjoying it. It is kind of a mix between Groundhogs Day and Harry Potter. Interesting though. I would not hesitate to recommend it, not heavy reading, just a nice escape.

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