Volume 16 - Days 151/215, 2024 and 152/214, 2024 - Thursday and Friday

The fact that Blogspot is only working sporadically is troubling to me, because it is one of my compulsions, and nobody should get between me and one of my compulsions! Plus, it is difficult for me to remember what I did twenty minutes ago, let alone yesterday and/or the day before. Yesterday, I think we all did a little work from the condo, and then later in the afternoon, Paulina and I went and got in the pool. The water in the pool is several degrees warmer than I would be comfortable taking a shower in, and the hot tub was just a bit warmer than that. I am pretty sure I have gotten a bit of sun, and we can all expect my forehead to peel all through next week. Today, Paulina and I went to Walmart (about a twenty minute walk each way) where we got a couple little area rugs so the Piglet can jump up on the bed and the couch with no help from a passing hooman. After that, it was nap time, and then I had a quick meeting with Wolfgang, discussing things that I would like to upgrade in the condo, and just clarifying the condo fee increases and ongoing maintenance. All is good. Sorry that this is such a short entry after two days, but, it is what it is. The photo accompanying this entry is one of me diving on the second day. To be honest, we were all disappointed with the photos we got from the guide, but if you like fish, let me know and I will send you thousands!

Volume 16 - Day 150/216, 2024 - Wednesday

Today is actually yesterday (according to the posts), so try to keep up. Please. Yesterday was an early day, we had our last two dives at 8:30 in the morning, and then Paulina and Oliver had to take their written test. The short answer is, they both passed, but if you ever see them walking around, ask them for the REAL story. Both the dives were good, the last two make a total of 8 dives for me, which in NOTHING compared to the numbers of dives other people have. Fortunately, I do have a life outside Scuba. You probably remember what SCUBA stands for if you are old enough to remember Sea Hunt but if you don't, there is always Google. There was a pretty good current in the water yesterday, which made it fun and not so fun at the same time. It you wanted to follow the current, all you did was nothing, but if you wanted to be somewhere opposite the current, that was a bit of the struggle. All-in-all, a good time was had by all, and I am still breathing. After lunch, I went and walked the dogs while Paulina and Oliver took their tests. Early evening was consumed mostly with napping, and Paulina and I rose up and left for dinner at about 7PM. We had a nice dinner, then we walked down Fifth Avenue to see one of the memorials (see photo) and watched a while. Each way walking was about 25 minutes from the condo, and on the way back, Oliver decided he was hungry. Let it be know that the McDonald's on Fifth Avenue is the hottest place on earth, and presumably, the heat causes the service to lag. Just saying. Today is a not so busy day, hopefully I will be about to add a couple scuba picks to Facebook and the journal later today. Keep your fingers crossed, my confidence in the reliability of the blogpost site is waning.

Volume 16 - Days 148/218 and 149/217, 2024 - Monday and Tuesday

It seems that I am back in business...I don't want to brag quite yet, not until I see if this journal entry posts and I can upload it to FaceBook. Let's start with Monday. Happy Memorial Day to y'all. We spent a nice day in Playa del Carmen, and went to Tulum to do some snorkeling, and then we went and floated around some cenotes for a while. It is always fun snorkeling, and I am kind of a late bloomer at that. As a matter-of-fact, I am kind of a late bloomer at everything I have done over the past thirty years or so. Whatever. I am still not disenchanted with PDC, and that makes me happy, too. Very walkable. We have not needed a car for anything we have done around PDC...well, we did need a tour bus to take us to Tulum, but I think that is different. This morning, Paulina and I went to exchange some dollars for pesos, and then we headed to a pet store called WowPaws, because I was not happy with the harnesses the girls had. SO, we got new harnesses, some girl food and some other stuff, and then we headed back to the condo. We got a little bit lost, but nothing tragic, but it was a nice long walk. My watch kept asking me if I wanted to record my walk. But I didn't. Also yesterday, Paulina and Oliver took their first scuba diving lesson, and I took it as well, just as a refresher. This afternoon, we did two dives, and it was much more comfortable for me than I was expecting. There was just this nagging anxiety about it, but I needn't have worried, everything was just fine. I am glad I took the refresher, too, because there is a lot of stuff to remember. I don't know the figure worldwide, but there is less than 1% of the population in the US that has ever scuba dived. Honestly, that is more than I expected. We will do two more dives tomorrow morning, and Paulina and Oliver will take their PADI certification test. Much fun. We did not take even one photo today, but we will get some tomorrow from the dive guide, and I will post one tomorrow. Maybe. In the meantime, the photo accompanying this entry is from yesterday, when we were snorkeling. That's me to the left in the photo, not the center!

Volume 16 - Day 147/219, 2024 - Sunday

Paulina took this photo of me this morning when we had the girls out in the courtyard. After looking at this photo and cropping it a little bit, I experienced a terrible realization; I look like my father's mother, my Granny Samples. OMFG! Now that is something to ponder! We went snorkeling and cenote-ing today, but there are no photos yet...there should be some tomorrow or the next day, and they are pretty interesting too. The water was beautiful and clear, and there were lots of turtles, fish and a few other interesting things to be seen...and I am not in the least discounting some of the bathing attire the Germans were wearing. BEN AND TOBETHA-Our guide is a German Mexican, and he is now a MerMan. AND he looks just like Ben, too! Once we got back to the condo we went to the scuba diving place to see what time the check-in is tomorrow. I'm already certified, but you can never have too much practice. It is warm here, that is kind of an understatement, and humid. You can't go too far without glistening, but there is significant air conditioning working in the condo. Tonight, we had dinner at El Local, and I ordered my favorite pizza, and I ate one slice of it. We have pizza in the refrigerator for the rest of our visit, there is no lack of places to eat, and places I have eaten at...later this week, we will go explore the maurals and find the new train, El Tren.

Volume 16 - Day 146/220 - Saturday

Okay, well, I am not positive that taking the dogs to Playa was the smartest decision I have ever made, but we are here now, and there is no turning back. I was really anxious for the past several days, trying to make sure that I had done all the stuff I needed to do to take the dogs to Playa, and apparently, I did, but not necessarily in the right order. SO...I was up at 4 o'clock this morning, and left the house about 7 to go pick up Paulina and Oliver. The mules. We got to the airport about 9 o'clock for our 12:15 departure on American...and everything is extra. I am truthfully thinking about chartering a small plane and pilot if I bring the girls back to Playa, because it could not cost as much as this trip. Taking the girls alone was the cost of a ticket, AND, I booked the flights last year, and the prices went up since then, but I was not grandfathered in, even though I look like a Great Grandfather. Whatever. We made it through TSA in Austin and then we made it through customs and immigration and then through the health checks in Cancun. We made it to Playa at about 4:30, got the girls settled, and then went to get something to eat and did a little bit of grocery shopping. Oliver and Paulina just took the girls out for their last pee and we can't get the tv to work either. Where's Mikey when we need him. Tomorrow we will go snorkeling and then go to a cenote. The pick up time started out at 5:50, then it changed to 7, and now it is 8:15. At this rate, they may not pick us up until Tuesday. That won't work, because we are going scuba diving on Monday and Tuesday. FUN! From the looks of this photo, the girls and I are all tired. True Dat!

Volume 16 - Day 145/221, 2024 - Friday

There were a few challenges today, but everything got done that needed to get done. The challenges started out even before our walk this morning, and it was more a case of not being appreciated than anything else. 'Well, if that's the best you can do...' Honestly, the best I could do was better than the NOTHING that was being done otherwise. I will get over it, but... And then, I went to the eye doctor. It has been 8 or 9 months to get in to this doctor, and I don't understand how that is possible. I am pretty sure that I could have made an appointment with a doctor 'outside' my primary physicians group, but it was easier to do it, just took forever. A bit of cataracts, nothing worth doing anything about right now, everything else was fine. I quit wearing my glasses about 10 years ago, and he said I should wear glasses. See, I have issues with authority figures. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. I don't think I have ever had my eyes dilated in my life, and it was kind of interesting. I drove home with no issues, and I think that part of it is over. One eye still feels a little itchy, but I hope that will pass in a little while. Zoom in on the photo accompanying this entry, and look at the size of those pupils! Extra large, and that was after I got home.

Volume 16 - Day 144/222, 2024 - Thursday

Okay, so today was a busy day, and this day is almost over. As usual, it started with a nice walk, and then it was off to the office. There was nothing hurried about the morning, but before I had time to blink, it was time to head home. The girls had appointments at the beautiful parlor at 1:30, and then they had appointments at the vet at 4:30. In between those two sets of appointments, I ran a couple other errands, and took a quick nap. By the time we got home, it was past time for doggie dinners, and the Piglet was convinced I was trying to starve her. I got them fed, and it was shortly time to go to book club at Judy and Bob's. We really didn't spend a lot of time talking about the book, we all agreed it was kind of odd, I liked it for a good part, but I did not care for the end of the book...the last six chapters or so. The book we chose for the next book club is Tom Lake, and that will be easy for me since I have already read it. In the meantime, I have three (at least) or maybe four books on my list that I will read in lieu of Tom Lake. I will probably take a quick look at it again before the next meet-up though. There was NO rain last night, and I am pretty disappointed about that. Just a trace overnight, and it is not looking very good for the near term. We can always use more rain.

Volume 16 - Day 143/223, 2024 - Wednesday

With any luck, we will get some rain starting in an hour or two. Fingers crossed. We had a nice walk this morning, and I was scheduled for a full day meeting at the Austin Board of REALTORS®. There were probably 150 REALTOR® colleagues at the meeting from central Texas...Regions 8 and 15. A great group of my friends and colleagues, and the Texas REALTORS® Leadership Team delivered lots of good information for us, going forward. The meeting was over about 2:30, and the photo accompanying this entry are the wrap-up speakers, Holly and Melinda. Some of my favorite words are '...and in conclusion.' I made three stops on the way home, three stops that I won't have to make tomorrow. I did a little bit of business during the day as well, what I could do on my phone, calls and emails answered. Overall it was a good day. There are a bunch of severe storm warnings being announced, and the weather this year has been pretty violent...fingers crossed no one is hurt over night, and property damage is kept to a minimum.

Volume 16 - Day 142/224, 2024 - Tuesday

It is Total Stranger Tuesday, and I met this lady at the ROMEO breakfast this morning. It wasn't enough that she let me take a photo with her, she wanted to see some of the other photos that I had taken on Tuesday mornings. Done. We had a good walk this morning, even though it was really warm and really humid outside. Then I headed to breakfast, then to the office. We went to a property manager luncheon to learn more about mold (always an interesting subject), then I headed home about 2 o'clock. Tonight was also the Neighbors Dinner, and there were 13 of us there. So, today had a theme, and that theme was food. I had plenty of food today! I finished the book club book, and we will meet at Judy's house for book club on Thursday evening. I will give it a day or two before I start my next book. Tomorrow, I have a day long regional meeting, and I am not really sure how long that will last. The length of that meeting will make a difference as to whether I make it in to the office at all. Time will tell.

Volume 16 - Day 141/225, 2024 - Monday

There is a lot of machinery and electronics and buzzing and whirring that goes in to donating platelets. This is about the sixth time (not sure) that I have donated platelets instead of whole blood. You can do platelets every two weeks, and that is the schedule I am on. The only thing that could make the experience better would be if I could take a nap while all that is going on. Taking a nap while doing this is frowned upon, but I almost fell asleep again today. I can fall asleep generally if I am just still and quiet, which is kind of nice. I fell asleep on a plane once while we were still at the gate. When we took off, I thought we were landing. It's a gift. Otherwise, it was not a bad Monday. There was a nice walk in the morning, and we were joined by Pam and Paul's son Mitchell. Then a nice drive to the office with the top down. I have about an hour and a half left of the book I am listening to Strangers in a Strange land, and I already have my next book picked out, The Tatooist of Auschwitz. Tomorrow, after our walk, the ROMEOs will have a ncie breakfast, then I have a lunch meeting that starts at 11:30, and then the neighbors dinner starts aat 6PM. It seems like tomorrow will be a day plentiful with food. Like I need more food. BUT, it will be actual food as opposed to the stuff I usually eat on a daily basis; Twinkies, cookie, pimento cheese and naan bread. Time for a change!

Volume 16 - Day 140/226, 2024 - Sunday

I was relatively domestic today, all things considered. I got up at the usual time, and went for a nice walk. When I got home, I watched a little bit of Sunday Morning, and a little bit of it was all I could take. I did a little putzing around the house, and then it was off to brunch with Candy and Terry. It was nice to see them both, it had been a minute since the last time I saw them. After brunch, I stopped at HEB and bought $30 worth of beads and dryer sheets that are supposed to make your laundry smell fresh. It doesn't. The only smell is that I wasted $30 for something that doesn't work. I am such a victim of Madison Avenue advertising agencies. SO, the good thing though, is that I spent most of the day nekkid. When I do laundry, I do ALL the laundry. I did put on clothes when Jimmie and Linda asked if I wanted to go have ice cream, so there were lots of people that appreciated that. Sixty Minutes was delayed because of golf, and I did not want to miss the last episode of my program, A Gentleman in Moscow. Even though I read the book several years ago, the television series was kind of tense. The rest of the evening was rather free-form, meaning I did nothing of any significance, and almost forgot to make this journal entry. The photo accompanying this entry was taken on our Saturday morning walk...with the nice rains we have recently experienced, this little creek is running, and it is nice to hear it when we walk past.

Volume 16 - Day 139/227, 2024 - Saturday

More or less, it was a pretty typical Saturday. We had a nice walk in the morning, and deviated in our routine just a little bit and took in some sites we don't see on a daily basis. That added about a quarter-mile to the walk, and that was just fine. After the walk, I did not have time for a nap before estate sales, but that was fine. I was just doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that in the house. The housekeeper was supposed to be here at 9 o'clock, but we left for estate sales before she got to the Curious House, and she was gone before we got back. We only hit four sales, and only two of us bought anything. Once I got home from the sales, I decided it was then time to nap, and I did that relatively successfully. Every now and then I would get up out of the chair and do this or that, but nothing courageous. At about four o'clock, I decided I needed to go to HEB for a few things that I decided could not wait until tomorrow. I got that done, and then it was almost time for the first house concert of the fourth season at the Curious House. There were twenty five people from the neighborhood, and I think everyone had a nice time, at least there were no complaints. Well, maybe a few, but nothing serious. I am a lucky man and I know it.

Volume 16 - Day 138/228, 2024 - Friday

Well, we did get a little more rain overnight, so a total of 2.31 inches for the day. It has been a beautiful day today, and I don't think there is any more rain in the forecast before Thursday. High pressure. That is what we hate in central Texas, it means HOT. But, for now, the walk this morning was fun, and then I was off to the city. I had an 11:30 meeting, and then I ran one errand, and then back to the office. Everything is under control. One of our office neighbors lost his keys, so I was searching for them, and had no luck locating them. It seems he drover about two miles to an appointment with his keys on the roof of the car. Apparently he is even older than me, and drives slower than me. There are not too many people around that accuse me of driving slowly. Hmmm. My cell phone just rang, and my computer has a complimentary ring as well. I have never heard my computer offer a 'ring' on behalf of my cell phone. Change is not good. The photo accompanying this journal entry is just a few blocks from the river on Guadalupe. I don't care how loud the sirens are or how bright the lights are flashing, there is nowhere for this EMS guy to go when traffic is stopped. Also, on the way home this afternoon, I got to see and hear a crash on MoPac two lanes away from me. Once again, I still think most people don't even know when they are idiots. And idiocy is not restricted to drivers. I believe I am one of the only sane people in the country, and I know I am stupid. Hopeless! Estate sales tomorrow, and all will be right with the world.

Volume 16 - Day 137/229, 2024 - Thursday

Here we are again, my second best day of the week. We were expecting pretty strong storms this afternoon, and they did not disappoint. No hail that I know of, but there was one report of 1,100 cloud to ground lightning strikes in ten minutes. That's a lot. We got 1.96" of rain in a couple hours, and there is more rain expected overnight. I like rain and lightning and thunder while I am sleeping, and hope it wakes me up with a good show. Usually I sleep through it. May is historically our wettest month, and so far we have had 5.79" at the Curious House. Richard and James and I had a nice walk this morning, I took off for the city a little early, because I expected to leave the office early to miss the storms. I think central Texas was pretty lucky, further east there could be real flooding and challenges. I can't really think of anything of any interest to share with you that I did today, it has been pretty calm. Calm is good, 

Volume 16 - Day 136/230, 2024 - Wednesday

Today was more of an ordinary day, which is the nicest way I can say that the sun, moon, stars and planets did not line up as nicely as they did yesterday. I did, however, make it through, and I admit I should not complain about the first world problems I am complaining about. The day started out nicely enough, and everything was fine until about noon. We had a nice walk this morning, then I was off to the office earlier than usual. I knew I was going to leave the office early, I needed to go to Costco to pick up a prescription, and I needed to be home in time for a 1:30 zoom call. So far, so good. I don't think I mentioned the Costco issue yesterday: I had called in a prescription refill to the Georgetown store, and I knew they had to get it approved by my doctor. No problem. Yesterday, Costco called me and said they did not have the drug, it was on back order. I called the Austin store where I used to get it refilled, and they had it, and they could pull the doctors authorization from the Georgetown store to the Austin store. Great. When I got there (Austin store) today, I was told there was a problem with my insurance. I thought this was odd, since I have never charged my insurance for this particular drug. Well, it was not an insurance issue at all, but the said they could not refill the prescription because it was a 'new prescription,' even though I have been refilling this drug for at least 20 years, maybe more. They knew that, they could see that. SO...they sent a refill to my doctor, and I called my doctor (cell phone), because he had just approved the refill yesterday, and I did not want him to think I was getting TWO sets of the prescriptions. Whatever. I got the prescription, and I got home with six minutes to spare before my zoom call. Mission accomplished. After that zoom call, I had another one starting at 3, and now I am tired. I am not even going to mention the email I got from Optimum that said I had not paid my most recent charge, even though I am on auto-pay. Nope, not gonna talk about it, wouldn't be prudent! We are supposed to get some rain tomorrow, and that will only make things better.

Volume 16 - Day 135/231, 2024 - Tuesday

It is Total Stranger Tuesday! After our morning walk, the ROMEOs meet for breakfast, and I go and invade the personal space of a total stranger. I identified my target early, and waited until we all ordered before I made my approach. This lady was a little bit concerned about her head wear...she let me know that she had recently completed her chemo-therapy, and I told her that was the reason she was chosen. Before we left, I went back, let her know that her head wear was a sign of strength and courage, and that we know she had won the battle. It was a nice moment in my morning. Then it was off to Austin. It was a good day, and I got a lot of stuff done, and even got some other stuff done that made other people shut up. Just SHUT UP! I even did a bit of business in the car on the way home, and that is a good feeling. There was no rain today, and it has been a beautiful day, and in fact it was a top down day on the way in to the office. It could have been a top down day on the way home, but...no. 

Volume 16 - Day 134/232, 2024 - Monday

The saying is that You learn something every day. I am not sure that is true for me, but I did learn something today. If it is grey, rainy, lightning and thundering, and you have an appointment to donate platelets, you should probably reschedule. My first question was, what if there is a power outage when I am hooked up to the machine? I fully expected that the answer would that that there is a back-up generator, and nothing to worry about. Nobody had an answer. Honestly, it was not really a question, it was just to get a fun conversation started. The second thing is, when it is as I described above, nobody is really that fun...everybody was just calm, quiet and restrained. Much different than I have experienced up until today. The morning started with a nice walk, and it was crisp and dribbly at the same time. I'm not really sure how that is possible, but it was. Whatever. I got home about 4:30 this afternoon, and shortly after that, the sun came out and it is now a beautiful day outside. That seems to be a common occurrence recently. Not to worry, real summer will be here before anyone is prepared for it. I was also supposed to attend a fund raiser this evening, but I cancelled due to weather. And then the weather did not happen. Ugh. Hopefully a walk in the morning, then there will be breakfast with the ROMEOs, and then on to the office.

Volume 16 - Day 133/233, 2024 - Sunday

Every morning when I wake up, I check my email, and do a little this-and-that in the office before I get ready for our morning walk. This morning, I did something that I cannot think of ever having done in my life: I spilled a cup of coffee on the desk. There was no permanent damage to anything, but there was coffee everywhere. I recovered (mostly), went on the walk, and continued the recovery process when I got home. I made egg loaf, so the girls got two breakfasts, and they are always happy to have eggs. I went down for a nap, and got back up around 11:45. I had four things on my chore list: HVAC filters, Fredericksburg Peaches, Neighbors Dinner and Estate Sale. This is kind of a comment on the state of mind currently...to get the HVAC filters, I would need to go to Home Depot, park, go in, purchase, and reverse the process. So, I ordered the filters from Amazon, and they will be here before the end of the day. There were no Fredericksburg peaches at the usual roadside stop, and Marian and I went to an estate sale, and then stopped at Wasabi in Georgetown to make reservations for the neighbors dinner. Done. If you looked at the journal yesterday, you remember I had a photo of a Daylily. I did not even remember that I bought this piece of art yesterday at another estate sale. A Daylily. If you look closely, you will notice that the stamens are two guys painting the lily. I thought that was kind of interesting. Now, where to put it...

Volume 16 - Day 132/234, 2024 - Saturday

Okay, it's Saturday, which means a nice morning walk, estate sales, naps, and repeat. I walked this morning with Richard and Paul, the first time in over a week. It was nice to catch up, and just generally act stupid. There were three estate sales, and I might (MIGHT) go back to one of them tomorrow. Maybe. I did buy a few things that I did not even know I needed, now I just need to find a place to put them. Two out of three have been placed. It is supposed to rain tonight into tomorrow, so we will see exactly what happens. I only have a couple chores on my list for tomorrow, and none of them will be put off just because of rain. I have never had much luck with daylilies, but I looked out in the back today, and this pretty orange was blooming its' heart out. Very pretty. 

Volume 16 - Day 131/235, 2024 - Friday

Well, even though I got home late yesterday, I was too tired to really appreciate it. The girls and I are all back to normal, and one of our favorite things is to get all piled up in the big chair while I watch tv or take a nap. One big happy. There was no walk for me this morning, once I knew I was going to be late getting home, I let the ROMEOs know I would not be walking. I took off for the office this morning and got there at about 9:30. Everything was pretty much under control, in fact, EVERYTHING was just fine, so all I needed to do was approve some stuff, sign some stuff, and leave. I got home, opened a weeks worth of mail, and then made a trip to UFCU, because their mobile app never works. On the way back, I stopped at HEB and bought a couple sandwiches, some bread and some pimento cheese. I know it has not been a very exciting day, but that is just fine with me. I just remembered I have not checked the mail, so I will take a short walk and see if I have anything in the box.

Volume 16 - Day 130/236, 2024 - Thursday

Okay, get ready, this could take a while. This entry will forever be remembered as Fantasy in Travels with Bill. My plan was to leave the hotel this morning at 8:30, so I would have no trouble getting to the airport with plenty of time to spare for my 11:40AM flight. It was not a direct flight, but it would get me back to Austin at about 3:45 or so, plenty of time to pick up the girls and have a quiet evening with them. Watch a little tv,  maybe take a nap or two, fix something to eat, and just chill. I got in the cab at 8:32, a couple minutes (literally) later than I had intended, buy not the end of the world. I always try to do curbside check-in, and I tip rather generously, just in case there are any issues. I was bringing back four tubes of hippie crack (shut-up, it's granola) from Baked and Wired in Georgetown (fruit or no-fruit), because it is the very best granola EVER. My neighbors Linda and Jimmie brought me some once and I have been a crack addict ever since. When I flew to DC, my bag weighed 45.5 pounds, and that was with three 16.8 boxes of Merlot which I had every intention of drinking during the trip, but I did not drink any of it. I did have three or four glasses of wine during the visit, but it was all in restaurants of the hotel bar. SO, with the hippy crack in the suit case, and a few other things I took out of the back pack so it would not be as heavy, my checked bag weighed in at 52 pounds. It was an interesting thing that happened,,,the skycap looked away, and then the bag weighed 49 pounds. The next time he turned away, the bag had lost another 12 pounds. We chalked it up to a problem with the scale, and the bag went right on through. The next obstacle was TSA and Pre-Check, and I also have Clear. They said it was time for me to upgrade and confirm all my stuff, and to take a new photo and fingerprints. By the time they finished, the result was 'No Known Traveller.' It took a while to straighten all that our, and then it was on to the next thing. As I was walking to the gate, there are only 10 gates in the Southwest area of Ronald Reagan, I had a feeling that my phone was not where it was supposed to be, and that was because I had left it in the cab I took from the hotel to the airport. Hmmm. No phone. I borrowed a nice ladies phone and called my phone and there was no answer. I waited a few more minutes, borrowed another phone, and called again. This time there was an answer. 'What? Is this Mr. EvansWilliams?  Yes, can you bring me my phone back? Where are you? You just dropped me off at Southwest. I'm already back downtown. I'll pay your fare to bring my my phone back. Okay, it'll be about 20 minutes. He showed up, I gave him $100, and I thought it was well worth it. Then I had to go back through security again, but that was no trouble. I got to the gate and the 11:40 flight was delayed to something like 12:40, but they were expecting another delay because of weather in Atlanta. Because of other panes being delayed and other planes being scheduled to take off two or three at a time, it lead to a but of chaos, By this time I was with my friend John, There were no seats at our gate, so we sat where we could. We both swear that we heard nothing about any updates, but suddenly, the plane we were supposed to be on LEFT WITHOUT US. Well, that was rude, and the ticket agents didn't really show any compassion. The whole problem was attributed to my advanced age and my hearing challenges. Whatever. We re-booked a flight that would leave at 6PM, and my boarding position was C45. So, we were punished (although John got a changed ticket and a $9.25 credit to use on a future flight.

Where was I? Sorry I fell asleep, and it is now Friday morning. SO...John and I went to the gate for the 6 o'clock non-stop flight to Austin. We almost missed that flight too, because (surprise, surprise) they changed the departure gate and we did not know it. BUT, we figured it out, and got on the re-booked flight. And then, as we approached Austin, there was weather. It was supposed to be bumpy, but nothing terrible. We landed, and taxied close to the gate, but not to the gate. There was lightning in the area, so the plane at the gate we were wanting to get to had not pushed back, and the ground crew was taking safety precautions. Totally understandable. We were finally at the gate. Long story short (I kinda missed that opportunity, huh?), everything worked out okay, I got the girls, and we got home about 11 o'clock. AND, personally, we missed all the rain, wind and hail, but I know people nearby that had the worst hail storm they ever experienced.

Epilogue: Just chill out, those experiences were nothing but first world problems, the girls and I are home safe and sound, and we are all lucky people. Have a great day!

Volume 16 - Day 129/237, 2024 - Wednesday

Well, I am pretty much finished with this years Mid-Term Meetings. Mid-Term Meetings is an old term, we are now attending REALTORS® Legislative Meetings. Same meetings, just a different name. Today, we went to the NAR Building, which is something I like to do every year, Then lunch, then one Hill Visit, then Regional Caucuses. After the caucus, we had a nice dinner, and we had so much food left over, that we went on another mission to find housing challenged folks that might appreciate some good food. We were able to distribute all the food, so it is good to know that it was not wasted. I have those spells occasionally when I am attending large, national meetings, and at least we know we did a very small thing that might make a small difference for someone. I'm back at the hotel, walked through the bar, said hello to a few friends, and now I am about to go to sleep. I will get up tomorrow, and my plan is to head for the airport at about 8:30. I change planes in Atlanta on the way home, and if the weather holds, I should land in Austin about 4PM. I really cannot remember the last time that I changed planes on a flight, but I will tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Volume 16 - Day 128/238, 2024 - Tuesday

Today was a most excellent day, and not because of all the stuff that was going on during our NAR Legislative Meetings. The day started with  visits to some of my elected officials offices, where, I did not actually meet with any of them because they have criteria of exactly how many could actually go in to their offices. It was okay with me, because I have met them all before, and I was just happy to stand around and get in peoples way in the various hallways. I did take a photo of the political bureaucracy signage that really means 'stairwell' but the signage says 'Internal Relocation Site.' It's a stairwell! After that, we went to lunch at the Old Ebbit Grill, and that was very nice. I had a nice veggie sandwich, and a diet Coke. It was really a n ice day in the nations's Capital, so it was good to walk around and just look at stuff. After I got back to the hotel, I took a nap, and capped off the day a friend in the bar, just having a nice talk about all the stuff going on in our lives. Very nice! 

Volume 16 - Day 127/239, 2024 - Monday

It seems like it should already be sometime next week. I have only been here since Saturday, but there has been so much done, and so many meetings and so much still to do, it has just been a series of really long days. I think tomorrow will be another long day, another day starting even earlier at 8AM. After that, there will be a bit of a break, and then it will be on to Hill Visits. It is always interesting to meet with our elected officials in the nation's Capital ('al' or 'ol'?) and we all learn a lot about the political climate, both locally, state wide, and across the country. This afternoon was also the TREPAC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, and there were more inductees from Texas than any other state. All together, from across the country, there were 336 inductees, and it was a great ceremony. After that, we had a nice dinner, and now it is time to call it a night. Take a look at the photo accompanying this journal entry, Holly made a bunch of 'Bill on a Stick' things, and I think they are really cool. Unbelievable how much I care about all these people.

Volume 16 - Day 126/240, 2024 - Sunday

Okay, well, this has been a pretty long day, but it has been a rewarding one as well. I had a few meetings today; the first was at 8:30 (Federal Legislative and Political Forum), a State Leadership Idea Exchange luncheon at noon, , a Large State Forum at 1:30 and a Leadership Idea Exchange Closing Session at 2:40. After that, I hung out with friends in the bar, and then the Austin Board of REALTORS® had a reception, and then dinner with many of my TREPAC family. It's not 10 o'clock in DC, and I am still awake, so there is something to be said for that. Tomorrow is going to be another busy day, with another meeting starting at 8:30, and going on throughout the day. There is a lot of work being done and a lot of business being done at these meetings, but one of the fringe benefits is seeing my friends and colleagues from across the country that I don't get to see that much. I met a new friend from Ireland this afternoon, too, and that is always nice. It rained most of the day here, but that was no real bother, since the convention center has tunnels and other ways to get from there to the hotel I am staying at, so there is really no need to be exposed to the elements. Is that what it will be like in 50 years? Artificial environments? I think about that a lot when I am at these meetings where you don't go outside for a week. Maybe I should just quit thinking. Maybe not.

Volume 16 - Day 125/241, 2024 - Saturday

My intention was to have a much more interesting photo to accompany this journal entry, but no, it was (apparently) not to be, I did not walk this morning, not because it was raining (it was not), but because I was getting ready to take the girls to spend a few days with Val, Paulina and Oliver, and then head to the airport to partake in the annual Hill Visits in Washington, DC. I would say that, probably, 30% of the plane was occupied with colleagues from Texas and other states. The plane originated in California, but there were plenty of us on the flight. The flight itself was basically uneventful, even though we were warned several times that there would be some turbulence. It didn't happen, which I am totally okay with. I got to my room about 5:30, then hooked up with Nancy, Melinda and Ben for a few minutes. The rest of the evening has been spent answering emails, watching a little television, and chilling out. Tomorrow will be an early day, and kind of a late day too. There are always more meetings and forums to attend than there are hours in the day, but it will all be over in a few days. 

Volume 16 - Day 124/242, 2024 - Friday

Okay, it is officially the weekend. It was kind of dribbly this morning, so we did not walk. We probably could have, but if we had, it would have come a downpour! It has been grey and cloudy and rainy all day, and it still is. There is a threat of storms overnight, but who knows. I doubt that it will be terrible. I made it in to the office with little trouble, and it was another good day. I left for home at about 1:30, and I had a few errands, but nothing really exciting. I have been craving some fast food for a couple weeks. I really wanted some bar-b-que, but there is no place convenient. So, I settled for McDonald's, and I am sorry to report that it was not as good as my craving had imagined it to be. That's the problem with cravings, we work it all up in our heads, only to be disappointed. It is getting a little bit windier (is that a word?) outside, and maybe that means there is some more rain headed this way. I think I will retire from this journal entry and get a few little chores done around the house.

Volume 16 - Day 123/243, 2024 - Thursday

So, we did get some rain overnight, and it was raining this morning, so there was no walk. We got a little over a quarter inch overnight, and almost a half inch since I emptied the gauge this morning. And, we are supposed to have more overnight tonight. Future radar looks like it will be after 11 o'clock tonight, at the earliest. Still not complaining about the rain. It was still quiet in the office today, and that was appreciated. I got done with the stuff that needed to be done, and I left for home about 1:30. I had one errand on the way home, and when I got home, I had a pimento cheese flip and a piece of cherry pie. I still have one more piece of the pie to finish. Tonight is a better night for television (see how exciting my life is). I don't think there is anything scheduled for tomorrow, but you never know what might happen. I have 45 minutes left on the book I am listening to, and honestly, I will be glad when it is over. It is supposed to be humorous in a sarcastic kind of way, but to tell you the truth, I am not feeling it. I started to process of finding out how to  pay the Bank Trust Fees for the condo in Playa, and I expect that will take a couple weeks. June 1st will be my one-year anniversary for owning the condo, and I have (so far) no regrets at all. I am a lucky guy!

Volume 16 - Day 122/244, 2024 - Wednesday

Notice: All you followers of this journal with delicate sensibilities, you need to stop reading this NOW. My dinner tonight had a 'Best By' date of January, 2017. And I feel fine. It's been in the freezer. Apparently, it has been in the freezer for nine or ten years...that means it has been in a variety of freezers in that time. I will be the first one to tell you if my health goes south overnight. As usual, the day started with a nice walk, then I had a leisurely breakfast of an apple fritter, watched some of the news, and took off to the office. Even though it is the first day of the month (MAY?) it was kind of a quiet day, and quiet days are always welcome. I had a 2 o'clock webinar, and that lasted until 3:30. It is a little bit dribbly outside, and we are expecting storms overnight and into tomorrow. There is a chance of rain every day for the next week or so, and we will not complain about any of that for at least a day or two. I have a sneaky feeling that the walk will be called off tomorrow morning, but we will just wait and see. Another good thing, my calendar is totally open for tomorrow and Friday, there is no telling what will happen between now and then.