Volume 14 - Day 304/61 - Monday

Evan lives four doors down from me in Georgetown, and he was the first goblin to visit tonight. There have been two so far, and I might have overbought the candy. Last year, Halloween was celebrated on a weekend night, and it was really a lot of fun roaming around the neighborhood. This year, I think I will just sit here on the front patio and see how many kids come by. It is a great night for sitting outside, low 70s, and no bugs (so far). I got stuck in traffic this morning on the way in to Austin, and my usual 35 to 45 minute drive was an hour-and-a-half. That's life. And when the traffic started flowing again, I could see no apparent reason for the back up. No wreck, no construction, nothing. I left the house at 8:45...so maybe that is just part of it...ordinary commuters. Generally, I don't have to be anywhere at any specific times, but I had a couple morning appointments. I was late for the first one (I called ahead), and made the second one with five minutes to spare. As I was composing my journal post last night, I was pained by how boring that drivel was. I don't guess this one is too much better, but we can always hope that my life will become more interesting in the near term.

Volume 14 - Day 303/62, 2022 - Sunday

Dick joined us for our walk this morning and that was really nice. He and Jay and I just picked up where we had left off four months ago. After the walk, I took a quick nap, and then got ready and headed out for brunch. Good conversation, lots of sarcasm and food. Not a bad combination. Terry followed me home, he is going to be my roommate for the next eight or nine days, until his new home is ready for him to move in. He has all his stuff in storage until he gets it to his new place. Since this is All Hallows Eve Eve, there is really nothing much to see on tv except B movies that are leading up to Godzilla and Boris Karloff. I think tomorrow night will be fun, and I hope it is a repeat of last year. The neighborhood had a pretty good time on Halloween last year, and I had a lot of fun. The Piglet was not at all happy that she got her face washed this afternoon, but she looks very much better. It was a really nice day today in central Texas, and we are hoping for a bit of rain later in the week. The particular movie I am watching right now, a British something called The Peeping Tom, is really getting kind of creepy, so I am going to cut this off and let my creep flag fly.

Volume 14 - Day 302/63, 2022 - Saturday

The photo accompanying this entry has nothing at all to do with the entry. I walked in to the kitchen last night, and this was being reflected onto one of the kitchen cabinets. I thought it was interesting, so I took the photo. Today has been the relatively calm day I was expecting, and that has been good. Jay and I walked this morning, then later Deb, Pam and I went to an estate sale. We all bout something, and that is the criteria needed for attending an estate sale, and considering it a success. After that, I did a little bit of errand running, made a quick trip to HEB, and then went down for a nice nap. Dick and Marge are back from Chicago, I saw their car and sent them a text, but I have not seen them yet. We will see if Dick walks with us tomorrow morning.

Volume 14 - Day 301/64, 2022 - Friday.

Okay, it rained. It's cold. To whom do I complain. That didn't take long, did it? It did not rain until about 7:45 or so. Jay and I took off for our morning walk, and we walked about a third of a mile and quit. There were a few sprinkles, but there was a lot of lightning. SO...we wisely called the walk off, and took cover. I had an 8:30 zoom meeting, and that went on until after 10 o'clock, and shortly after that, I headed in to the office. It rained all the way in to the office, and for a little while thereafter. So far (and I think this is it for this event) my gauge in the back yard had gathered 1.08". Yippee. I just went and checked the electronic thermometer, and it is 58 degrees outside right now. Too cold. I had windows open during the day, and I still have two open, and I will leave them open. I will be all comfy cozy sleeping tonight, but this cold weather has to go. Okay, I can maybe take it for a couple days, but that's it. Not too much on the agenda for the weekend, but I will try to make the bet of it.

Volume 14 - Day 300/65, 2022 - Thursday

Okay, lint is just going to have to wait until tomorrow. I am looking forward (fingers crossed) to rain overnight and in to the morning. It takes so little to make me happy these days. Rain. My house got cleaned this evening, I'm on a five week schedule. Once every five weeks. I don't think I am that messy, and certainly not a dirty person. Every five weeks seems to work for me and the housekeeper. Tonight when she arrived, I watched some of the news, and then I headed out, just drove around. I am listening to a new book, This Tender Land, and I listened to it while I drove. Then, I went to Carl's,

Jr. and have a three piece chicken finger dinner, and came home. As I write this, I am watching an old Streisand movie, and it is a goodie! Much better than the chicken fingers from Carl's, Jr.

Volume 14 - Day 299/66, 2022 - Wednesday

Things must really be getting back to a kind of normal. Traffic congestion in central Texas seems to be more and more common. Easy commutes seem to be waning, but it will all be okay. I just need to go in to the office later, and leave the office for home earlier. I think I can probably do that, we shall see. It was a very nice day in the Austin area, a little bit nippy this morning when we walked. I thought I had dressed warmly enough, but I didn't. Tomorrow, I may actually try a heavier jacket. I did wear a stocking cap, so my ears were okay, and I wore shorts. My legs never seem to be too offended by the cold. I finished my book on the way home this afternoon, and if you intend to read it, I won't include any spoilers here. You can give me a call. It seems the television viewing schedule is no longer predictable, so I am adrift this evening with my remote control in a wasteland of poor video choices. Heaven help me, I don't know how long I can take this. I think the subject for the journal tomorrow will be lint. I have a lot of questions and concerns about lint.

 

Volume 14 - Day 298/67, 2022 - Tuesday

Well, the ROMEOs are recruiting! We were four this morning, and we are expecting Dick (and Margie) to be back in town this weekend. Dick is the originator of our ROMEO (Retired (or Really) Old Men Eating Breakfast) group, and we are all looking forward to seeing them again. It seems like they have been up in Chicago for a really long time...just about four months. AND...for the first breakfast upon his return, I will be in Waco presenting at the Waco Board of REALTORS®. Maybe we will do the breakfast on Monday, but there will be others. The photo is me, Jay, Jack and Paul. The storm came through last night, lots of wind, a little bit of rain. We are expecting more rain on Friday, and we will take whatever we can get. I made it in to the office this morning, and all is good there. I continued my quest for a particular kind of dog food today, and finally found something acceptable to me after visiting three HEBs today. Ugh, but it is a feeling of accomplishment. I will finish the book I am reading (probably) tomorrow. The book fills me with anxiety, but even so, I think it is a pretty good book. The Paris Architect. If you are a reader (or a listener), take a look and see what you think. 

Volume 14 - Day 297/38, 2022 - Monday

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I voted this morning. Early voting started today in Texas, and I got there about 8:45. I estimate there were 15 voting stations, and they sere about 70% occupied, and there was a steady stream in and out of the facility. I made it in to Austin in plenty of time for my 10 o'clock appointment, and then it was off to the office. We had a birthday lunch for several of our folks (we kind of lump them all together) at Vinaigrette, one of my favorites. Cobb Salad. We generally eat outside, but there had been just a teeny bit of rain and it was REALLY humid, so we ate inside. I brought home a piece of carrot cake, and I expect it will take me a week or so to eat it. The overnight rain totals were really disappointing, we got none. During the day so far, there has been 0.03" accumulated in the backyard gauge. There is supposed to be more this evening, maybe some into tomorrow, but then again more predicted on Thursday or Friday. I hope it is raining when I wake up in the morning, so I don't have to wimp out of the morning walk. The morning glories in the back are blooming better, but NOTHING like they bloomed out at the farm. Maybe next year. AND...the lemons are beginning to turn yellow, and they are huge, as lemons go!

Volume 14 - Day 296/69, 2022 - Sunday

This should come as no real surprise to anyone that follows or occasionally reads this journal, but I went to the Austin FC semi-final game tonight at the Q2 Stadium with my friends Nancy and Ben. This was the second time I had been at the facility, and it was a totally different experience to be sure. We could not have been on a higher row, because there were no higher rows to be had. Nancy has season passes to the Dallas team, and that team was in Austin tonight to see which team would advance. Austin won 2-1. It was fun watching the crowds, and it was fun watching the match. It might be fun to get season tickets for next year, but time will tell. Otherwise, it was a pretty good Sunday. There was a walk, brunch with Candy, Mike, Terry, Alisha and Reuben. Then a couple naps, a couple chores around the house, and then off to the soccer match. Overall, I think you should always go for the new experience! 

Volume 14 - Day 295/70, 2022 - Saturday

Well, I am a day late with this journal entry, but I guess better late than never. Today (yesterday) was a pretty good day, a good walk in the morning, then an estate sale (nothing). A couple naps, some laundry doing, and then the last house concert of the 2022 season. The power went out for a couple hours on Friday, and that is always traumatic for me. Eight breakers tripped, I could only reset two of them, and I now have a couple extension cords strategically placed from here and there around the house. I noticed that the 'flex temp' drawer was not keeping items cold, I have it set on the freezer setting. I figured I was going to have to make a major appliance purchase, but it appears that when the power went out, it set itself back to a warmer setting (wine) and I set it back to freeze, and everything seems to be working again. Here is a relatively dark photo of the house concert, it was a lovely, breezy night!

 

Volume 14 - Day 294/71, 2022 - Friday

Well, I did get one load of clothes (bed clothes) washed and dried today, and I have remade the bed. The girls are very happy that they have fresh linens. I will do another load of laundry over the weekend. No rush. I made it in to the office, and on the way home, I went and walked a property that was having the counter tops and back splash replaced with quartz. It was supposed to be a two day job, and was supposed to be finished on Thursday. I got there today, and every door in the house was unlocked (not open, just unlocked), and the work was not finished, and there was no one there. I called the company and they said they would finish the job today, but I will wait until Monday to do another visit. I stopped at HEB before I got home, but they did not have the dog food I prefer (I am not sure what the girls prefer), so I will make another trip to another HEB over the weekend. I will have a relatively relaxed weekend, and I am looking forward to that. Unseasonably warm, high temperatures are back in the 90s. Rain is in the forecast Monday and Tuesday. It could be worse!

Volume 14 - Day 293/72, 2022 - Thursday

Okay, that's a wrap. For me, anyway. This was my final event as part of the TREPAC Leadership Team, and it was really a great event. A few tears, but that is to be expected. Next year I will have an appointed job as CAP Chair, and that will be a good transition. Fundraising is fundraising, and it is all good. We had a great time entertaining guests from California, Florida, Missouri and (I think) Ohio. We basically gave the California peeps a hard time, and it is always fun watching out-of-towners recite the Texas pledge. We also made a sizable donation to our Florida colleagues via the REALTOR® Relief Fund, and it is important that we take care of our own. That money will be put to really good use. After the luncheon this afternoon, I headed in to the office, and touched a lot of stuff on my desk, and basically got it all cleared off. Tomorrow, I will need to go tour a couple properties, and then it will be time for the weekend. I am definitely ready for it. 

Volume 14 - Day 292/73, 2022 - Wednesday

Okee-Dokee...another full day of learning and sharing. This morning kicked off the opening session of our REALTOR® Party Summit. The theme this year is 'Liftoff,' and the program was really well done by all our volunteers. After the opening session, we had lunch with a guest speaker from NAR, and then breakout sessions til about 5 o'clock. There was a later reception, but I came home to tend to girls and do domestic stuff. Tomorrow will be the last day for me, but our governmental affairs peeps will continue through Friday. Speaking of Medicare...it is, apparently, that time of year again, and I am being sought after by a variety of providers that think they are better than the other guys. Very confusing, and I have now determined why so many seniors develop some sort of dementia. They/we don't really, they just get confused with people trying to sell them stuff. And I am sure it is all for the greater good. I think I will just stick with what I've got. Purple Chuck's is becoming a thing with our PAC, and here is just a little bit of the evidence...

Volume 14 - Day 291/74, 2022 - Tuesday

It is only Tuesday...it feels like it should be at least Thursday. All day meetings, and I have been home for about 20 minutes. Good information shared, good hanging out with friends that we have not seen for a couple years, and overall, just a really good day. Tiring but good. I think the venue this year is really pretty good, but I am not impressed with the food and beverage services. And I am not even snobbish about food and beverage. During lunch, we found out the final numbers for our fundraising year, and those numbers will be made public tomorrow. We did have a nice champagne toast, and we all worked our butts off for the 2022 fiscal year. Lots of hard work by everyone involved. Another long day tomorrow, and a not so long day on Thursday, but I have to tell you, I am not getting any younger!

Volume 14 - Day 290/75, 2022 - Monday

We finally got some rain last night, and a little bit more during the day. Overnight, my gauge registered 1.38", and throughout the day, about another tenth of an inch. We will take it. The temperature is much more fall like now as well. Sixty one degrees right now as I author this journal entry. There was no walk for me this morning, I had a nine o'clock appointment in Austin this morning, and a ten o'clock appointment after that. I made it home about 2:30 this afternoon, and I left at the house about 4:30 to go to Round Rock for my first meeting of the week. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be packed with meetings. I am excited that I have the windows open again, and the fresh air is something that I really enjoy. The meeting tonight was mainly just a planning session, making sure everyone knew what we were supposed to be doing for the next three days. Since our meetings are all being held in Round Rock, I opted to commute (twenty five minutes) back and forth instead of staying at the conference hotel. The girl dogs don't know it, but it is a pretty good sacrifice I made for them! As Texans, we are wont to over react to things, and the TREPAC team has the fireplace going in their meeting room. A little bit over the top, but you have to do it when you can do it!

Volume 14 - Day 289/76, 2022 - Sunday

I did get up off my ass today and do some stuff outside the house. It was a good walk, but it was warmish and really, really humid. I am counting on that cold front to come through overnight, although the rain may be put off now until exactly the time I will be going in to Austin. I have a nine o'clock appointment in Austin, and a virtual class at 10 o'clock. Everything should work out, no challenges. I hope I remember to pick up my cleaning tomorrow while I am in Austin. Someone can remind me, just to be sure. I made it to brunch this morning, and then headed in to the office just to see if there was anything interesting going on. There wasn't. On my way back north, I just wandered around a little bit before getting back on the highway. I drove past this traffic island in old west Austin. There was a story about this island in the newspaper several years ago, when the newspaper was still acting like a newspaper. I will save that editorializing for another time, but it was fun to see this. I had to make the block again and bring traffic behind me to a stop so I could get the photo. It was worth it. I then made a stop at the post office and the grocery, and I should be ready for the week before too long. Today was only a one nap day, but I should be able to stay awake until bedtime. 

Volume 14 - Day 288/77, 2022 * Saturday

I was this many years old when I found this out... What is inside a 6-volt battery? Commonly known as a lantern battery, a 6-volt battery is made up of a collection of four larger cells, usually D batteries with 1.5 volts per cell. Well, damn. That means I am going to spend a good portion of tomorrow tearing apart batteries in the garage to see for myself. That will mean tomorrow will be more productive than today was. I did my walk this morning, and then I went to check the mail this afternoon. Those were the only times I went out of the house today. I spent most of the day on the couch, taking naps and watching crime shows. In the middle, I checked the UT score, and a bunch of space alien programs. I know, I know...I have all these channels and there is nothing to watch. I am still looking forward to the cooler weather and the rain that we are supposed to get starting on Sunday night into Monday. I have several meetings scheduled for next week, and then it should be smooth sailing after that for the rest of the month. 

Volume 14 - Day 287/78, 2022 - Friday

There was a time when weekends meant nothing to me, but now, I am happy when the weekends roll around. I still have chores to do, and some real estate stuff, but more or less, the weekends are time for me to chill out more than I chill out during the week. It is obvious that I do not do anywhere near the amount of real estate stuff that I used to, but, I am lucky, and I am old, and much of the time naps are more attractive than anything else I do. So, I nap.  I got in to the office this morning, and then went to tour a couple properties that we have listed, and then I made a stop at Costco. I had an appointment to get my haircut at 3, and I am glad I left at 2:30, because this is the second weekend of ACL. The city is, once again, full of freaks, and I get it. I was more of a freak decades ago, and now I just want to get out of their way. Anyway, I made it on time for my haircut, and then headed home. Jay called and he and Deb invited me to dinner with them at Fish City Grill, very nice. I got the big order of catfish, and I should have chosen the smaller order. I ate it all, though. It was good. As I hinted at a few sentences up, I do not have a lot on my list for the weekend, and that is perfectly okay with me. We are expecting a cool down Sunday night into Monday, and I am looking forward to that!

Volume 14 - Day 286/79, 2022 - Thursday

I attended the ABoR TREPAC Investor Appreciation event last night, and we all received gifts of the 2022 Texas State Capitol ornament. I have a couple complete sets of the ornaments, which were first released in 1996. I think. Around that time I think. It is a given that, I do not have all the ornaments secreted in one particular place, there are some here, there are some there, and there are more over there. Somewhere. I do remember that I went on line and procured some that I did not have, making my sets complete. I think that will be a task to add to my list for this weekend, just since I cannot think of too many other things I need to do. There are no estate sales this weekend, so I need to fill that gap with something equally mindless. If you have any ideas, let me know. Today was not a bad day, and I got a pretty good amount of work done before I left the office. I also took a zoom class (2 hours of CE credit), so that was an accomplishment. I had another 'zone' added to my sprinkler system today. As usual, I think some builders do just the very minimum requirements to some areas when they are building, so I have known that one zone in the back was inadequate, but I waited until the irrigation people slowed down to get it where it really needed to be. I'll let you know this time next year if it worked.

Volume 14 - Day 285/80, 2022 - Wednesday

I am not sure what happened to the journal entry last night, but I did not mean for it to have a white background, and I tried to fix it, and it did not. So...we will see what happens with this entry. Today was a really good day, and there were several photo opportunities, and several photos were taken. Jay and Deb came in to Austin this morning, and we went to lunch (very nice) and then we went to Tecovas where Jay got himself a really nice pair of boots. Okay, I got myself a pair as well, but they are not really anywhere near as conventional as the ones Jay bought. I headed home at about 1:30, got home about 2:15, and then headed back in to Austin about 3:45 for a 4:30 reception at the Austin Board office. It was really fun seeing friends that I have not seen in a couple years, and we all had a great time talking and gossiping...okay, I admit it, the gossiping part was the best! I have too many photos to choose from, but I decided on this cloud photo, seen from the rear view mirror of the car. Very nice!

Volume 14 - Day 284/81, 2022 - Tuesday

Beware of the phantom traffic jam...that happens when a car on a freeway slows down, causing the car behind it to slow down, and that continues until the ripple effect eventually causes all traffic to come to a halt. The word 'traffic' originally meant 'trade' and it still does, technically. It comes from the Italian verb 'trafficare.' The earliest known use of the tern 'rush hour' to describe daily peak traffic times was in the 1890s. It was originally considered a literal 60-minute hour in most cases. I don't believe 'rush hour' refers to the same time period these days. Yes, I was stuck in traffic today for the first time in a long time. It added at least 45 minutes to my typical 35 minute commute home from the office, but everything worked out in the end. I had taken my car in for service yesterday, and I needed to go pick it up this afternoon, and Jay once again came to the rescue, and schlepped me to go and retrieve it. Tomorrow will be a longish day. I expect to leave the house around 9ish, and return about 7ish. A meeting, a lunch, and then an 4:30 appreciation event. It will all be okay!

Volume 14 - Day 283/82, 2022 - Monday

We are back to warmish (not wanting to say hot) and humid. As I predicted, there is a good chance that we will have a real cool (not wanting to say cold) front coming in late Sunday night into Monday. This time next week, the high temperature is forecast to be in the 70s, and I am really, REALLY, ready for that. I finally saw the full moon last night, and it was still out and inspiring this morning while we were walking. I got in to the office pretty early this morning, then I had a 10 o'clock appointment, and then I took the car in for service. The service appointment did not 'qualify' me for a loaner, since it was 'elective.' Of course, the last time I had service, I was told that the only real 'fix' was to have a software/hardware upgrade, so I said okay. Two months later, and a couple reschedules (not by me), I was told last Friday that I would not have a loaner. Jay came to my rescue, brought me home, and then I went BACK in to the office and got the rest of my work done. A dust pan. Where in the hell can I find a dust pan? All I wanted was a dust pan! I stopped on the way home at Target, to get the dog food I forgot to get yesterday. Over night, I theorized that I could use another dust pan, but they are not to be found in Target. After one employee (Christina) told me she was busy and could not direct me to the dust pan department, I finally found someone that said they were in the corner with the toilet paper. Close, but no cigar. And...do you know that dust pans go for $9 these days? I am adding dust pans to my wish list at the next estate sale I go to.

Volume 14 - Day 282/83, 2022 - Sunday

Well, there is supposed to be a meteor shower tonight, but it may not be visible because the full moon could be too bright. I went outside to check on the moon, and it is nowhere to be seen. Bummer. Today was more of a typical Sunday. A nice walk with Jay, then brunch with the Brunch Bunch, came home, took a little nap, then off to Target to get four things. I remembered three of them, and came home with two of them. Then, I rearranged the garage a little bit, which is something I really like doing. Tomorrow, I am supposed to take the car in for an upgrade. Friday afternoon, I got a notice that I do not qualify for a loaner or Uber credits. That is a new bullying tactic. This particular car brand may be getting too big for their britches. We shall see...I may not leave the car and cancel the service they talked me into in the first place. It will all work out, I am just not sure at this minute HOW it is going to work out. 

Volume 14 - Day 281/84, 2022 - Saturday

Oh my, it was a busy day for a Saturday, and I did not even do that much... It all started off with a nice walk, and then I had a bagel for breakfast. Deb, Jay, Linda and I took off at our usual time for estate sales in the Georgetown area. The first thing was nothing so much, the second was was okay. Just okay. I did spend about $15, and brought home a couple treasures. Then, the four of us were off, en masse, to Walmart, to buy me a pearl snap shirt for tonight. My friend Avis asked me to be the emcee (or MC) at her 'nunya bidness' birthday celebration. I did not stress over it until earlier in the day, and the closer it got to the celebration, the more stressed I became. I think it went off pretty well, though, and I doubt that I really offended too many people. It was great fun, and if you know Avis, you love Avis. I was honored that she asked me, and now it is done.

Volume 14 - Day 280/85, 2022 - Friday

When you dream that you cannot find your locker or your class in a dream, it is a pretty good indication you are feeling uncertain of your place at work or even uncertain of your career choice. In these dreams, we tend to feel the pressure of finding our locker and getting to our class before the bell rings. This was not even my dream, but because I have been talking about dreams, many friends are sharing their dreams with me. The meaning of this dream does not really even apply to the person that experienced the dream, so you can take it for what you want. A great day in central Texas, the high temperature was in the mid-80s, and kind of cloudy. It is the first week of the Austin City Limits Festival, and, as usual, the freaks have all arrived, right on schedule. I did not go too far in to Austin today, I made it to a meeting about ten miles north of my office, but the traffic was pretty heavy, nonetheless. I'm looking forward to the weekend, and I have just a few things on my chore list, just enough to actually get it all accomplished.

Volume 14 - Day 279/86, 2022 - Thursday

The word used to describe a person who collects dolls is plangonologist. Most of my friends can't pronounce that, so they fall back on degenerate. The word plangonologist is an obscure (yep) noun that is used when a collector is specifically obtaining various specimens of dolls, mostly small models of human figures. The earliest documented dolls go back to the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece and Rome. Documented as toys in Greece around 100AD, they were crude, rudimentary playthings as well as elaborate works of art. My collecting of dolls began earlier this year, and I can remember when it happened. I was at an estate sale with Deb and Margie, and there was this doll in a box, so I bought it. It has swelled from there, I now have about a dozen, the creepier, the better. The photo accompanying this entry is my latest acquisition, and I hope you like it. I still have Helen's dolls (Jody's wife) in a box in the garage, and I will most likely integrate them into the house with the others in the next several days. It is warmer today, and I did turn the thermostat down to get some cooler, drier air in the house...I expect next weekend will mark the change in the central Texas weather, and my fingers are crossed. The first weekend of Austin City Limits starts tomorrow, and once again, the city will be 'full 'o freaks.' I will be working from home for the most part, I have an 8:30 zoom, a 9:30 vendor meeting at the house, and an 11:30 meeting at ABoR. I'm a lucky guy!

Volume 14 - Day 278/87, 2022 - Wednesday

Inspiration is where you find it, and sometimes where you least expect to find it. Not a bad day today, all things considered. We had a good walk this morning, and then it was off to the office. When I got there, the phones and the wifi were working, so that is an improvement over yesterday. I left the office about 2 o'clock, stopped and got the car washed on the way, and then waited anxiously for Linda and Jimmie to let me know they were ready for dinner. We had decided (the other day) to go into Liberty Hill for dinner at Dahlia's. I have only been there two or three times in the past, and it is always good. Just regular food, stuff that I can pronounce, and that is always kind of important. I have an aversion to eating stuff I can't pronounce, so I just don't. This is what is left of dinner, and that was pretty much all the motivation that was needed to say, it was a great day! Sorry this entry wasn't more astonishing.

Volume 14 - Day 277/88, 2022 - Tuesday

I was having breakfast this morning with the ROMEOs, and there was a man sitting at a table by himself. He was shaking his legs up and down, and he did not stop. He shook his legs while he was eating, he just did not stop until he stood up to [ay his bill. I am certain that, years ago, I used to do the same thing, but not as much as this man. As I thought about it, I thought that I have NEVER seen a woman do that. I think it is a nervous habit (see the following sentences), but I also think that it is a relatively new phenomenon. Maybe I'm crazy. Okay, correction, we all KNOW I am crazy, but it is my blog and I will write what I want to write. Some facts: It's probably just a nervous habit that may reduce stress or anxiety. Or the person presenting that activity may just be bored. At best, you will look nervous, at worst, people may think you are about to rob a bank. Once you have that habit, it is difficult to stop. It's like biting your nails, which I also did when I was but a wee lad.  But again, I have never seem women shake there legs because (I imagine) they are stressed, anxious or nervous. That was just about the most thinking I did all day. We were supposed to get a wifi upgrade in the office today, and mostly we just lost phone and internet service for about five hours. It was really pretty quiet, I don't believe there were any emergencies that were not addressed, and maybe tomorrow I will be able to take advantage of the higher speed. We shall see.

Volume 14 - Day 276/89, 2022 - Monday

Well, this is going to be boring. I really cannot think of anything interesting to talk about this evening. Again, sleeping with the windows open overnight has its' challenges. The Curious House is situated about a quarter mile from a fancy schmancy kennel and dog day care place. Many of the dogs have nothing better to do than to bark and howl for extended periods during the night. That, in turn, makes the girls kind of curious and prone to returning the barks just in case they can be heard, which I seriously doubt. In any case, sleep for the last couple nights has been fitful at best, but I will keep doing it for the immediate future. Today makes three days that the AC has not run, and I like that a lot! It was a relatively unexciting day in the office, which is a really good thing. A lot of this and that, and I don't have anything exciting coming up this week at all...that I can think of anyway. There was a nice sunrise this morning, and that is always a good way to start the day!

Volume 14 - Day 275/90, 2022 - Sunday

I was out showing property late this morning, and was close to Jack and Tosalyn's, so I decided to stop in unannounced. They had a baby boy on August 31st, so it was time to see for myself. At four weeks, a baby may be able to see more clearly, up to 18 inches in front of themselves. That takes a lot of effort for them to focus, and they may look a little cross-eyed at times. Pretend they were just pulled over for speeding, and see if they can follow your finger from one side to another. Kids this age are growing about an inch a month, and they are sleeping about 70% of the day. All these things were working in my favor when I held Beckett Pearson for the first time. I have always had the gift of putting people to sleep! After showing property, I went back to one of the estate sales from yesterday, and spent two more dollars. Then I came home and finished laundry, took a couple naps, and I will see about something to eat in a little while.I have not had the air conditioner running for two days now, and I am kind of proud about that. I leave the windows open at night, and it stays cool in the house through the day. We will see how long I can keep that up.

Volume 14 - Day 274/91, 2022 - Saturday

Once your lemons start to grow, give them time to mature. They can take around six months to mature. Don't harvest them until their skin changes from green to dark yellow. When your sweet Meyer lemons are ready, their skin will be a shade of yellow that is similar to the color of an egg yolk. That is easy for Mrs. google to say, but patience is not one of my virtues. I have been, and hope to continue to be, patient with these BIG lemons. I counted eleven on the bush (not really a tree) this afternoon, so that will really be a bounty. I cannot think of the last time I used any lemon, not even in tea, but I have that bush and doggone it I am gonna have some lemons. While I was watering plants yesterday morning, I half way decided to forego any potted plants next year. If we have another year like we did this year, there is just really no reason to make potted plants struggle to survive. Plus, it will cause me less things to stress over. I can just concentrate on the stuff that is in the ground. We did two estate sales today, I bought a few things, but Pam really hit the jackpot. She collects southwest stuff and kachinas. She is pretty focused on what she wants, while I, on the other hand, just collect stuff. This and that. BUT...it is all stuff I think adds to the spirit of the Curious House.