Volume 14 - Day 90/275, 2022 - Thursday

According to research, what you say to an audience isn't nearly as important as how you say it. One more day and it will be the weekend. There were a few false starts today, and there is already one false start happening tomorrow. I got up as usual and got my walk in with Dick and Jay. The housekeeper was supposed to arrive at 9, but she changed it to 8 because she had a dental appointment later in the day. She texted this morning that she had a migraine, so there was no tidying up of the house today. Next visit is scheduled for two weeks. I got all the plants watered, and headed in to the office. they were surprised because I had not planned on going in. I was scheduled to pick Melinda up at the airport at about 1:30, but the flight was late. SO...she got in at about 2:30, the same time as my haircut appointment...which I got to and got my haircut. Then, we made it to the Curious House, and rested for a bit, and headed to Horseshoe Bay for a TREPAC event. We both enjoy those events, and we had a pretty good night. I personally really like the Highland Lakes Association, they are all a great bunch of colleagues. The photo is Melinda, me and Sonya. A fun time was had by all!

Volume 14 - Day 89/276, 2022 - Wednesday

The shortest war in history was between Zanzibar and England in 1896. Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes. I long for the good old days! Some days are better than others, and this day was not awful or anything like that, it just was plagued with valleys for the peaks. I kind of know how the lady holding the goose feels. Do you? Don't read too much into the question, and the feeling is not expected to be long-term, it is just sometimes you think you are going forward when, in reality, you may actually just be spinning your wheels. Not frequently, but sometimes. Whatever. The walk was good, it was still raining a little bit when we walked, but it turned out to be a lovely day in central Texas. It will be cooler tomorrow when we walk, but the temperatures will be increasing over the next couple days. I kind of think we are in the clear as far as last freeze of the season is concerned. I think we are past that point, climatically, but you never can tell. Tomorrow will be a fun day; housekeeper, picking up Melinda at the airport, hair cut, function tomorrow night in Horseshoe Bay, and then back home. Melinda then goes back to the airport early Friday morning, and I go in to the office. Everything always works out.

Volume 14 - Day 88/277, 2022 - Tuesday

The oldest Live Oak tree in Texas, known as the Big Tree, can be found in Goose Island State Park near Rockport, Texas. I am a little bit worried about the live oak in the backyard. It looks a little bit puny to me, compared to other trees I can see from the confines of the backyard. I did pay attention to some of the live oaks in the area of our office in Austin, and I have come to the conclusion that is is no more feeble than many of the others there. Live oaks are strong, they can live for hundreds of years, they are drought tolerant, and just overall are perfectly suited for central Texas climes. Never-the-less, I would appreciate it if you would keep your fingers crossed for me. You can all stand down now. I have completed my quest for plants to be added to the landscape plan. Two nurseries (Barton Springs and Red Barn) and the deed has been done. I would have tried a couple others, but they chose not to answer the phones. I know they are busy, but I was trying to let my fingers do the walking. Anyway, all the plants are at the Curious House, and they may all get planted in the next couple of days. It is supposed to rain overnight, so I am going to bring some of the cushions in off the outside furniture. You are welcome to help if you are in the neighborhood.

Volume 14 - Day 87/278, 2022 - Monday

The Curious House straddles the Cross Timber & Prairies and the Blackland Prairies in Texas. The farm was totally in the Blackland Prairie, but I think the Curious House straddles to two. Having said that, I am in the middle (maybe the first quarter) of a landscaping process at the Curious House. This time last year, my car was regularly ladened with boxes, and piles of stuff being brought to the new house. This year, it is plants. Wanting do do most of the landscaping with native plants is proving to be just a little bit problematic. There are not a lot of plants available. I am also trying my very best to use local, small nurseries to accomplish the plan. I have been to McIntyre's in Georgetown every day for about the last week, because they get plants delivered everyday, as opposed to the big box stores, which, at least in Georgetown, get a huge truck load of plants on Thursday. Tomorrow I will go to two (maybe three) small nurseries in Austin to see what I can find. I have a list of six varieties of plants that I am on the lookout for. And be quiet, I know those three iris are NOT native. I don't think.

Volume 14 - Day 86/279, 2022 - Sunday

Static electricity is the build up of an electrical charge on the surface of an object. It's called 'static' because the charges remain in one area rather than moving or flowing to another area. The most interesting display of static electricity I have witnessed in a while, was after the Piglet rolled around on the floor for a bit, and then jumped up onto my lap. The effect diminished somewhat while I fumbled for my phone, but maybe you can get the idea. It was really kind of cute. Sunday. Today is Sunday. I did have a few spurts of energy, I did a few loads of laundry, watered outside plants, went to brunch, went to the local nursery and paid for some plants that will be installed soon. Took a nap. I called Nike customer service because none of the shoes I ordered fit, that is still a work in progress. I am watching the Oscars, and I am pleasantly surprised. The humor is biting...just my kind of stuff. I am surprised, but most of the targets seem to be taking it in stride. I finished my  most recent book this afternoon, Travels with Lizbeth. I have been aware of this book for decades, it has an Austin connection, and if you check it out, I think it will give you a bit more insight to homelessness...even though it was written in the 1990s.

Volume 14 - Day 85/280, 2022 - Saturday

According to naturalist James Fisher, a monk who lived in the sixth century was one of the earliest known feeder of birds. Saint Serf of Fife tamed a pigeon by feeding it. The feeder in the back yard stays pretty busy, and I have to refill it about every three weeks or so. It is a pretty big feeder, and it holds a lot of seed. I was sitting out on the back deck this afternoon, and saw these two little birds on the feeder, and I thought it would make a good photo for this journal entry. I put the hummingbird feeders out last week, but so far I have not seen any hummers taking advantage of it. The walk was good this morning, and it was considerably warmer, so only a light jacket was needed. It was 91 degrees in central Texas this afternoon, so it was a lovely day to do things outside. I did not do that. I went to a couple estate sales, a couple garage sales, and came home and did very little of anything. Overall, it was a really good start to the weekend, let's see if I can keep it going tomorrow!

Volume 14 - Day 84/281, 2022 - Friday

Today was a day I have waited a long time for. I estimate that it takes me about four months to finish a loaf of bread. I used to love just eating bread and butter, but I haven't done that in a long time. Today, I had the two 'heels' of the loaf left, and I used them both to make two pimento cheese flips. Delicious! Some people refer to the heels as the crust, and honestly, I guess all the outside bits of a loaf of bread are crusts. I never heard of the heels referred to as crust, BUT, the crust of bread (the heels, especially) contain more antioxidants and fiber than the inside. What is inside the crust of bread is know as the 'crumbs.' That's is probably more bread information than you were expecting in this journal entry. We had a good walk this morning, and my usual 8:30 zoom call. I did not go in to the office today, and overall, it was a good day. I did re-do two of the hummingbird feeders (they were leaking), and sat outside and enjoyed the sunshine for a while. Tomorrow, I plan a trip to Home Depot to survey some hanging plants, and then maybe an estate Sale. We shall see...

Volume 14 - Day 83/282, 2022 - Thursday

It took a little bit of looking, but I think this is a celandine wood poppy. Kind of close to a butter cup, but butter cups have five petals, this has only four. It is a perennial with grey/green leaves, and is known for its large, poppy-like, yellow flowers. I noticed the two blossoms this morning on our walk, and I thought they were worth noting. Spring, it seems, has sprung, but I think it is possible that another late term freeze could happen. The odds are long, but it could happen. A calm day in the office, Tosalyn and I went to an estate sale (I bought $20 worth of trinkets), Tosalyn came away empty handed. Another beautiful day here, I took the covers off the furniture on the back deck, and sat outside for a little while. Lovely. There is a strong chance of rain next Wednesday, but it will be worth the chore of covering everything back up for the great weekend that is looming. I am working from home tomorrow, hoping to supervise the landscape peeps. There is also an appointment to have the lawn aerated tomorrow afternoon. Always something to do (or have done). The weekend is looking relatively open, and I think there are some naps in my future.

Volume 14 - Day 82/283, 2022 - Wednesday

The 'Best By Date' refers to the date recommended that you use the product by for best physical and/or sensory qualityIt is not an expiration date, but rather the date by which its consumption would be best. The product in question for the purpose of this journal entry, is a quart of HEB Skim Milk. The 'best by' date is March 11, and today is March 23. I opened the aforementioned quart of skim milk while I was enjoying my dinner (cold fried chicken leg and thigh), and I found it be be quite adequate. One wonders how much better it could have been if it had been consumed by its 'best by' date. I am a pretty good judge of milk    quality (due to my advanced age), and I still cannot define how much better that milk could have been if I had consumed it twelve days ago. Whatever. It was a good walk this morning, if a bit chilly. I had reported to Dick and Jay that I would not be able to walk tomorrow, because I had a nine o'clock appointment in Austin. The appointment has been cancelled, so the walk is back on. All was quiet in the office today, and I made it back home by about 3 o'clock. We are still experiencing some chilly mornings, and I will be glad when the mornings warm up a bit. Until then, I think I will go have some milk...you can never be too careful.

Volume 14 - Day 81/284, 2022 - Tuesday

The portrait of the 'Quaker Man' on the Quaker Oats package has only been updated three times since its debut in 1887; once in 1946, again in 1957 and most recently in 1972. It was 60 degrees outside when we left for our walk this morning, and it was 52 degrees when I left for breakfast a couple hours later. The ROMEOs (Retired Old Men Eating Oatmeal) try to meet for breakfast every Tuesday morning. In the photo is me, Jay, Jack and Dick. I think I am the youngest in this group, too. I think Jack is the same age as me, but he is a few months older. We had a great time at breakfast, and then I was off to work. I got in to the office, cleared off my desk, made some phone calls, answered some e-mails, and left about 1:30. I like to say I quit working a while back, but I go in to the office. It was a beautiful day in central Texas, especially considering the storms yesterday. I am certainly a lucky man, nothing but about 3/4" of rain here at the Curious House. We are expecting cool temperatures for the rest of the week, but spring should be just around the corner...somewhere.

Volume 14 - Day 80/285, 2022 - Monday

The word 'tornado' comes from tornare, which is Latin, meaning 'to turn or to have torn.' I have plenty of pictures of weather radar, rain, and dark clouds, but I am deferring to a nice picture of a nice sunset. We have been warned about the inclement weather we could experience for at least a week, and everything kind of came together this afternoon. Although I am really, REALLY lucky to have been missed by all the strong storms, all around me there have been tornados. We either had nine or ten tornados, or three or four that touched ground and then skipped over a while and touched down again. I have seen some of the destroyed property on various news feeds, but I bet it will be at least a day or two before we really know how bad it was. Here at the Curious House, we got a good bit of rain, and that is about all. We did lose power for about an hour, but the solar panels and the battery backups kicked in, and all I knew was a quick power flash, and I did not even think about the power grid being down. I did not think about it until one of the neighbors texted and asked if I was okay. SO...I guess that answers that questions; the panels and the batteries seem to work as intended. I will present more details about the local damage in an upcoming entry.

Volume 14 - Day 79/286, 2022 - Sunday

By the time you see the sun set, it's already gone. Curvature of the earth and all that. Today was an unbusy day, compared to yesterday. I did some stuff, like cleaning and filling the hummingbird feeders, straightened the garage a little bit, cleaned the floors (they are epoxied) in the garage, transplanted and consolidated some of the outdoor plants, went to brunch, took a nap. Stuff like that. Later, I covered the furniture on the front patio, brought cushions in from the furniture on the back patio, moved a few plants around to keep them from flying off. We are in a 50/50 zone for storms, tornadoes, and 2" hail tomorrow. It should start around 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and it should all be over by midnight. I hope I will be back from Austin before the whole thing starts. We shall see. The walk this morning was pretty nice. No gloves, it was in the 50's, and very little breeze. That may be different tomorrow, and the rest of the week, the low temperatures are expected to be back down in the 40's. My work schedule is really pretty sparse for the coming week, and that is totally okay with me. 

Volume 14 - Day 78/287, 2022 - Saturday

Apparently, today is National Backyard Day. Okay. For us, Saturday's are let's meet in Dick and Marge's garage and drink some wine. That is much more fun that sitting in the backyard. Today was an extra fun day for me. I got a lot of things done. It started with our walk, it was cold, but no wind to mention. Then, I took the girls to the beautiful parlor, went through the $13 twenty-five cent car wash, and stopped at Panera Bread (orange scones and cranberry orange muffins) on the way home. Deb and Marge and I then headed out to a plant sale that I had seen advertised but by the time we got there, they had nothing left but some succulents. Then, there was an opportunity for an estate sale, and we all came away with some treasures. A great morning. The girls were ready shortly after, and I stopped at Home Depot in the way and got some opaque window film for the front door. I had wanted this film done, and I tried to find someone to come out and do it, and I was talking to Deb about it, and she said she had done it, so I thought I might as well take a chance. I am very proud of myself for getting it done. It looks pretty decent, too! I got some grocery shopping done, too, and so I am set for a while. I have so much dog food, the girls will never, ever go hungry. We had wine tonight in Dick and Marge's garage, and we were joined by our new neighbors, Moe and Yo. Yo is pronounced 'Jo,' and they moved in next door to Dick and Marge. It was a fun evening, and we all laughed a lot. Hopefully, I didn't scare them off! I got home to see the last 20 or 30 minutes of 'Out of Africa,' a movie I always liked, and the bits of it I got to see, did not disappoint.

Volume 14 - Day 77/288, 2022 - Friday

Each month's full moon has its own name. The full moon tonight is called the 'Worm Moon.' It's called that because in cold climates, the ground begins to thaw and the earthworms begin to appear. It was not particularly cold this morning, but I was glad I wore my stocking cap. The wind was blowing about a hundred miles an hour. But, it was a good walk. I had my 8:30 zoom, and then I took a nap. The landscape guys came about 10 o'clock, and trimmed trees, and they look so much better. Later in the afternoon, another lawn guy came and did something else to the grass, not sure exactly what. I considered going to an estate sale in Taylor, but maybe I will do that tomorrow. I have an appointment to take the girls to the beautiful parlor in the morning, and then Marge and Deb and I are going to a local plant sale. Then maybe I will go buy some plants for the outside pots, transplant a few things, and then maybe the estate sale. It looks like brunch is on for Sunday, and that will be fun, it's been a couple weeks. I noticed some buds on this orchid plant a couple days ago, and I saw the first bloom open up this afternoon. It looks like I might be doing something right.

Volume 14 - Day 76/289, 2022 - Thursday

There were no snakes around for St. Patrick to banish from Ireland. Sorry to burst your collective bubbles! Dan and Nancy left at about 6:45 this morning. I was up at 5, and went down there at about 5:30. Paulina and Oliver were there, and it was an exercise in chaos! They had a loaded up U-Haul and a loaded up pick-up, and they kept finding stuff that had been overlooked. Eventually, it was all secured, and I ended up with a frozen chicken breast and a few other things. Just call me the clean-up woman! They finally drove out, and they are on their way to a new life in Las Cruces. I walked this morning with Jay and Dick, and I am now OFFICIALLY the youngest in the group, and they are both motivated to keep it that way. It was warmer, but more humid than it has been, and I wore just a light jacket, and that was fine. There was quite a wind though, so that was a bit challenging. I got in to the office about 9:45, had a quick meeting at 10, went to lunch with Carrie, Maggie and Benson at 11:30, and left to meet the landscaper at McIntyre's in Georgetown at 2:30. Landscape prep is starting tomorrow, and maybe plants will be installed next week. It is a work in progress, to be sure. The housekeeper was here today, but it seems Callie acts aggressively towards her, so we need to figure a work around for that. Next visit, she will come in the mornings, and I should be able to be here during her visits. Tomorrow is my weekly 8:30 zoom, and then I plan to get in the way of the landscape people while they are here. Stay tuned!

Volume 14 - Day 75/290, 2022 - Wednesday

It takes food seven seconds to travel from your mouth to your stomach. Tall people, maybe a little longer. It was chilly for our walk this morning, and this morning was the last walk for Dan. He and Nancy will head out to Las Cruces tomorrow morning. Nancy came out and took the photo that accompanies this journal entry, and I like the photo very much. I got in to the office and got my desk cleared off, and made it back home with no issues. It was a lovely day in central Texas, and it is expected to be kind of a repeat tomorrow. Next Monday is expected to be stormy, maybe into early Tuesday, but the weekend is expected to be great. I have a lunch appointment in the morning, and other than that, not a whole lot going on. Friday, the landscape folks are coming to the house to begin the prep work for some fresh plantings, so I may stay home that day. It is interesting that I don't have too many chores lined up for the weekend, and I like that very much. I made three reservations for the girls at the kennel for April, I have three trips planned; Phoenix, Delray Beach and McAllen. Phoenix for a conference, Delray Beach to visit Mikey and McAllen for a fishing tournament. All pretty quick trips, in-and-out, nobody gets hurt!

Volume 14 - Day 74/291. 2022 - Tuesday

Onions, apples, and potatoes all have the same taste. Their smells are what gives them different flavors. So...I wonder, if you hold your nose and eat one of each, you won't know the difference? I think the textures will give it away. I think if you hold your nose and eat ANYTHING, you can't taste it, but that might just be an old wives tale. I did not walk this morning, and I was up earlier than usual. I had an 8 o'clock appointment at my doctors, and you never know how long it will take you to get somewhere. I got there at 7:20, sat in the parking lot until 7:40, went in and started giving people a hard time. Sign this pad, and this is what you are signing. I just had to take their word for it, because I did not see the two documents I signed. The EKG was normal, I had a blood draw, the results came bace really good, IF I am reading the report I got via e-mail correctly. I will wait to see if they call me and give me a verbal all-clear. I am supposed to have an appointment with a cardiologist, but I don't know if they are going to make the appointment, or if I am supposed to be proactive and call him myself. We will wait and see. I went to dinner tonight with Dan and Nancy, their movers will be here tomorrow between 8AM and 10AM, and when they leave tomorrow night (they will spend the night with Paulina), that will be the last time I will see them for a while. They are good friends here in my new neighborhood, and I hate to see them go. Life goes on. I did eat a cookie today, so that was a good thing!

Volume 14 - Day 73/292, 2022 - Monday

The sun produces more energy every minute that all the energy used on Earth in a whole year. It was chilly this morning when we took off for our walk, but not freezing. We all dressed down a little bit, and by the end of the walk, I had shed some clothing. Well, shed may be the wrong word; I had rearranged some clothing. I won't be able to walk in the morning, I have my semi-annual doctor visit at 8 o'clock in the morning. I expect there will be blood involved, and most likely, I won't be invited for dinner. It was a lovely day today in central Texas, 81 degrees and kind of breezy. We are under a strong storm advisory from now until about 10:30 tonight, so I may sleep with the blinds down from the top, hoping for some cool lightning. Hopefully, no damage, I think the worst of it will be north and east of us. I did an annual task that I usually put off until the very last minute: I completed the renewal application for our E&O Insurance. It only takes a few hours, and I don't know why I find it so distasteful, but I do. I am about two weeks ahead of the game already, so I can check that off my list of crap.

Volume 14 - Day 72/293, 2022 - Sunday

No more stupid Russian, stupid Putin stuff, it is to much trouble, it was stressing me out, y'all know plenty of stupid Russian, stupid Putin stuff! Today was an especially nice day. Our walk this morning was not as cold as yesterday, but, as a steward on the Titanic responded, when asked if the water was cold, it was definitely not hot. We walked at 7:30 in deference to the time change, but tomorrow we will be back to 7AM. It will be dark, but we will live with it. After a nice nap, I moved all the plants back outside, and then, after another nap, I decided to get myself a little bit motivated. I headed to Georgetown to go to DSW (the shoe place), only to discover that it was closed up. I guess another victim of the pandemic. So, no more new shoes for me today. Then, I was off to Costco, with the intent of buying some more dog pee-pads, and $116 later, I was off again. I had read a couple weeks ago about a new art gallery in Florence, and I had clipped the article out of the paper, so off I went. They were closed too. I came home, had a salad, and then took off to visit Jim and Patsy, my old (and very much missed) neighbors at the farm. We had a nice visit, I got to see three or four new-born calves, and just had a great day! It could not been much of a better day!

Volume 14 - Day 71/294, 2022 - Saturday

Stalin appears to Putin in a dream and says: "I have two bits of advice for you: Kill off all your opponents and paint the Kremlin blue." Putin asks, 'Why blue?" Stalin replies: "I knew you would not object to the first one." It was 24 degrees this morning when we got out for our walk, and I don't care who you are, that is COLD. It is supposed to be a bit warmer in the morning, and then no more freezing temperatures for the near term. AND...I will, once again, put the plants outside late tomorrow morning. Maybe even water them and give them a bit of fertilizer. Get them off to a good start. I went in to Taylor this afternoon, to go to an estate sale. The estate was falling in upon itself, but I did spend $3 on a little bell that looks like Little Bo Peep in brass. Quite a find for three dollars! Jody and I moved to the farm in 2008, and driving back and forth on Highway 29, I have always looked for this caboose sitting in the middle of a field. Today, I stopped and took a bit of a closer look. Not too close, but close enough to get the photo that accompanies this journal entry. I have always liked to explore places that I shouldn't explore, and I would really like the chance to explore that caboose. 

Volume 14 - Day 70/295, 2022 - Friday

A new arrival to the Gulag is asked: "What were you given ten years for?" - "For nothing!" - "Don't lie to us, everybody knows 'for nothing' is three years!" Later, 'for nothing' could get you five to ten years! Too damn cold this morning, but we walked. It is supposed to be colder tomorrow morning, below freezing, but hopefully there will not be 30 mile an hour winds out of the north. Socks are out, so 2010! I am officially beginning a new trend with mens colorful footwear. Why not? This is the third pair of shoes I have bought recently, and I am going all out for more colorful shoes. The piglet in the background is not at all impressed, since she sees nothing at all in these two pairs that she can easily digest. It's Friday, and today was just two zoom meetings. All the zooms were done by 12:30, and I left the office for home at about two o'clock this afternoon. I had a couple errands to run, and then I got home and took a nap. Or two. It was cold in the house, so I cranked up the heat, and now it is all comfy cozy inside. I have a couple things to get done tomorrow and Sunday, but nothing terribly difficult. Life is good, not too many complaints here!

Volume 14 - Day 69/296, 2022 - Thursday

In Russia, a man came home and found his wife in bed with a stranger. Furious, the man shouted, "You good for nothing, look at what you're spending your time for, while the corner store is selling eggs, and they only have three dozen left!" I think I need to get out more. I am running out of interesting stuff to share with you about Russia. I do not seem to be taking as many photos as I used to, either. It was cold this morning, the low temperature overnight is expected to be 55 degrees, and then it gets colder from there. Area wide freezes predicted for Saturday and Sunday mornings, rainy tomorrow. We will see. I was sitting in my office chair at home from 8:30 this morning until 5PM. Two classes and a zoom meeting all crammed in to one ay. But, that is done now. Going through my camera roll on my phone, I thought I would share this one with you from a few years ago. The names have been changed to protect the innocent!

Volume 14 - Day 68/297, 2022 - Wednesday

Back in 1939, Winston Churchill famously remarked that Russia was "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma." I'm pretty sure many of my Aggie friends will need to look up some of those words. Don't take anything out of context about the photo that accompanies this journal entry, it is nothing more than a suggestion for Putin. You never know... I was MUCH colder this morning that I was expecting; 31 degrees when I headed out for our walk, and I am very happy that I protected the potted plants that were outside. I went in to the office this morning, and got my desk cleaned off. I will be home tomorrow, two virtual classes and one zoom meeting. We will see how all that works out. I am threatening to sign up for a cruise in the middle of December. Seven nights, the best kind of cruises. I have been to all the places we will stop, but I think cruises are a lot of fun. Since I am threatening it, that means I will be signing up for it in the next few days. I am on the third day of my cleanse, and it is really not at all what I was expecting. So far I have been very calm, no emergency trips to the bathroom. Kind of a disappointment, really. I still have seven days to go, things may change!

Volume 14 - Day 67/298, 2022 - Tuesday

In 2008, Putin released his 'Let's learn judo with Vladimir' DVD. No, really, he did. So, it's Tuesday. It was REALLY cold this morning when we did our walk, and I was totally bundled up for it. It is interesting to me, we do the same walk every day, and sometimes my watch records is at 2.4 miles, sometimes 2.5 miles. I think a tenth of a mile walking is a pretty notable difference, but maybe I walk on one side of the street, and another day I walk on the other side, and that could make a difference. It is getting colder overnights, and there will be a pretty good freeze on Saturday morning. I took the plants from the front of the house into the garage, I have moved some of the plants from the back INTO the house, and others are moved closer to the house where I expect they will be adequately protected for the next couple of nights. Ultimately, they will all be brought inside, and that might need to repeated another time or two before the end of the freezing temperatures. The average last frost for Georgetown is March 5th, so we are a little bit past that, but it is just an average. I finished an on-line class today, and on Thursday I will finish two more. Tomorrow will be a pretty good day, I have a couple appointments, and that will be good. A nice sunset tonight, always nice to see!

Volume 14 - Day 66/299, 2022 - Monday

Mr. Potato Head once got four votes for mayor of Boise, Idaho, in an election. I have been on a kick trying to find stupid facts about Russia, but I came across this one today and I could not pass it up. It was damn cold this morning when we went out for our walk. I was under-dressed, and I went about 100 feet and turned around to get a better coat and a cap. It is expected to be colder tomorrow, so I will be better prepared. I will most likely bring the plants back in tomorrow afternoon, and there will be a freeze at least one time this week. The office was pretty quiet today, I went and posted a notice on a tenants door, that was about the most exciting thing I did. The first day of my ten-day cleanse has been kind of underwhelming, too. I have a bit of a headache from the caffeine withdrawal, but other than that, everything is okay. When I was looking for stupid Russian stuff, I found this photo of Tsar Nicholas II butt, and I have to say, his butt is a lot more impressive than Vlad's bare-chested horseback ride. Whatever...

Volume 14 - Day 65/300, 2022 - Sunday

A man from the 19th century Russian backwaters had a rare disease - hypertrichosis. He earned fame around the world as a circus freak, Jo Jo the dog-faced boy. I did make a few accomplishments today, at least a few more than yesterday. I went to brunch, but Sharon went to the wrong place, and it was going to be just the two of us, so we called the whole thing off. I went to the grocery and I am now $127 into my ten-day-cleanse. If I get all testy in the next couple of days, you will understand why, just do your best to avoid me. I did a load of laundry this afternoon, and that made two loads of clothes in the dryer. My jeans never get good and dry when I dry them with other clothes, so I make them a separate dryer load. I did a few other things around the house, but did not straighten out the garage as I had planned. I have just been laying stuff here and there as I use it in the garage, and I just want to get it all back nice and neat. Maybe one day this week. I can't think of too much that will be going on this week, so that will be nice that it will be a calm week. We shall see...I will let you know! Stay tuned.

Volume 14 - Day 64/301, 2022 - Saturday

Did you know that Russia, spelled backwards, is Aissur? Well, now you do. I did nothing of any value or productivity today. Nothing. Well, I did feed the dogs (twice), and I did wind the clocks. I did eat a massive quantity of M&Ms. But otherwise, I did nothing of any value. I did let the girls outside four or five times. I did go for a walk this morning. I did take a couple naps. I did go have wine with the neighbors in Dick and Marge's garage. I did read the paper and check the mail, but other than that, I did nothing of any value. Tomorrow I may need to think of something to do.

Volume 14 - Day 63/302, 2022 - Friday

Take a guess who the smartest person in Russia is: Lyudmila Aleksandrovna Ocheretnaya is the FORMER wife of Vladimir Putin. It looks like they broke up in 2014. I wonder where she is now? We had a good walk this morning, it was 62 degrees when we started. We went a little bit slower, and Dick did just fine. I got in to the office about 9:30, and I got some stuff done, and then headed off to a noon appointment with a Landlord. We got the property (2/1.5 condo) listed for $3K per month, and got an app on it in a couple hours. These are crazy times in which we live! I got home about 3, and tried my best to take a quick nap, but it did not work. I did the daily Wordle, got stuck, and Nancy cheated googling words. That's why I quit playing Words with Friends; the wimmin were cheating! I had a 6:30 appointment after that, and came home and had some cauliflower and broccoli with Ranch dressing. I am threatening to start eating better on Monday, so there is a lot of stuff I need to clear out of the pantry between now and then!It is not every day that we see emergency vehicles in the 'hood. This was seen yesterday. We usually walk in the street, but we took to the sidewalk so we get get a better view. Nothing to see there, though! I'm not sure what I have planned for the weekend, I'll let you know.

Volume 14 - Day 62/303, 2022 - Thursday

Moscow has more billionaires, per capita, than anywhere else in the world. We maybe last week, but... It was 52 degrees this morning when we started our walk. I was dressed in sweat shorts with a sweatshirt top, and I was not chilly at all. Maybe a little bit cooler tomorrow, but not uncomfortable. It is supposed to be a really nice weekend, and then a pretend cold front coming in Next Wednesday. The forecast low temperatures for the next week bottom out at 40 degrees, we may have seen our last frost of the season, but you can never really tell about Texas weather. We can experience all four seasons in a twenty-four hour period. We had a TREPAC luncheon for the Austin Board of REALTORS® this afternoon; this morning, I picked up Nancy at the airport, and took her back for her 3 o'clock flight. I think fly-ins and fly-outs, the same day, are interesting because there is no suitcase, and I don't have an extra pair of underwear. You should not experience plane travel without an extra pair of underwear. At any rate, the Pork Chop and Politics event was great. The pork chops are giant sized, I at my vegetables and mashed potatoes and the desserts, and brought the pork chop home with me. Nancy ate about two bites of her pork chop, and I brought hers home with me too. I ate about a third of Nancy's pork chop for dinner, and I think I have enough pork chop to have for dinner for another five days or so. Do you think my personality could be described as 'Reserved?' I think they meant Preserved.

Volume 14 - Day 61/304, 2022 - Wednesday

There are people in Russia who eat antlers and play with birds' beaks. That explains a lot. Dick walked with us this morning, the first time since his surgery in January. It was a good walk, and we are looking forward to having him join us again tomorrow. I'll let you know. I watered all the plants, and did a little bit of this-and-that before I headed off to work. I got in to the office, got my desk cleared off, and headed off to get my hair cut. On the way, I stopped by the pharmacy to pick up my prescriptions, the bank, the post office, and then the haircut. On the way home, I stopped at Home Depot and got a new shower head for my bathroom, one with a hand held thing with a long enough hose that I can bathe the dogs in the shower. We shall see how that works out. Tonight was book club night. It is supposed to be on the third Wednesday of every month, but we put it off a week because I was out of town last week. The next night will be the last Wednesday of March, then maybe we will get back on schedule. 

Volume 14 - Day 60/305, 2022 - Tuesday

Russia sold Alaska for 7.2 million dollars. I wonder how much they will try to get for Ukraine? I was totally NOT prepared for my reaction to this today. My friend Maggie gave me this watercolor of our house at the farm this morning. She specifically said she had two rockers put on the front porch, one for me and one for Jody. I broke down and wept. As I am writing this, I am trying my best not to cry. I cry less and less about Jody as time goes by, but this just kind of put me over the edge. It was a good cry, it is always a good cry, but it is a sad cry at the same time. I got in to the office this morning, after my walk with Jay and Dan. It was a good walk. Dick is supposed to join us in the morning, it will be his first walk after his surgery in January. These are all good friends that I have made here in the new house. It just keeps getting better, day after day. Dan and Nancy have sold their house, and they will be moving to Las Cruces in a couple weeks. There will have to be a LOT of friendship crammed in to the next couple weeks, we are all sad to see them leave to hood...