Volume 16 - Day 366/0, 2024 - Tuesday - New Year's Eve

It was the best of days, it was the worst of days. I'm not sure how the days going forward will play out, but some of it is none of your business. Today completes 16 years of this journal. I called it 365 Days of Bill because I had intended to only do it for one year, but if you know me at all, you know I am crazy and obsessive. SO, tomorrow will start Volume 17. That is kind of exhausting just to think about. I also thought about making this entry a recap of 2024, but the more I thought about it, the more tedious it became, so I will just give you a couple of extra odd things I did this year. Just a couple. I started the year with about 4,700 Facebook friends, and I am down to about 3,900 right now. All the friends I no longer have on Facebook are because of something I did or something I said. I unfriended many of them, but I doubt I unfriended 800 people. It is totally okay with me that many people unfriended me. I know my views and my reality does not mesh with everyone, and I am okay having only friends that believe many of the same things I do, or are at least tolerant of my many rants and raves. I think a lot of people probably also believe this journal is tedious, and I agree with them, too. So, whatever. If you survived the year as one of my Facebook friends, and your birthday is included in your profile, I wished you a Happy Birthday. Every. Single. One. Of. You. Wishing you all a Happy Birthday was one of the things I did beginning every day. So...maybe I will do it again next year, maybe not. If I do it on January 1st, then I am stuck with it for the rest of the year. Next thing...Carrie (my business partner) and I merged our Property Management portfolio with another local company in Austin, which means I am stepping out of the leasing and property management side of real estate. I am 73 years old and for the past 52 years, I have worked with businesses that were 24 hour a day jobs. Hotels, restaurants, answering service, inbound telemarketing and order fulfillment, and finally reals estate which included the property management piece. No more pager calls because the air conditioning is not blowing cold, or the toilet is backed up, or the patio fence was on fire. Nope, I'm done with that. I will still be doing sales, a little bit here, and a little bit there. I am ready. Here is something most of you don't know. On December 10th, I had a starter stroke. If you Google TIA, you will see what I had. While it was happening, I was driving, and it was kind of interesting. It would have been even more interesting if I had not been driving at the time. But...all is as well as it can be right now, and my current life is a series of Doctors appointments, and just doing the best I can not to have another stroke. The outlook is good I believe. Last topic for today, Richard and James and I had a brief walk this morning, and then we had to help another friend of ours with some stuff. After that, I joined Richard and Rick for our ROMEO breakfast, and since it is Tuesday, it was Total Stranger Tuesday, even if this weeks ussie was not that willing to go along. It will all be okay. Have a great New Year, if you have any questions, just ask. I love you all!

Volume 16 - Day 365/1, 2024 - Monday

I am pretty sure I need this. Honest! It is (I think) built on a '72 CW chassis and frame, and I think it is pretty cool looking. The tag says it has a new motor and 'runs good.' Does anyone have an empty garage space I can rent? In other ridiculous news, it was 89 degrees in central Texas today, 90 degrees on my extra special thermometer. It is the penultimate day in December, and the penultimate day of 2024. Can we get serious here, weather wise? There is supposed to be a cool front coming in overnight, and MAYBE three days with low temperatures at 32 degrees next week, and then a warming trend. I guess I will need to remember to cover the hose bibs on Tuesday afternoon. Whatever. It was a good morning for a walk with Richard and Paul this morning, and I had a couple appointments before I made it in to the office. After doing some office stuff, I had a 2 o'clock appointment in Lakeway, and that appointment accounted for an 80 mile drive...office/Lakeway/Curious House. I hope you are having a good New Year's Adam, peace out!

Volume 16 - Day 364/2, 2024 - Sunday

Name the Buzz. A month ago (last Friday) I got some counter intelligence (thanks Alisha) that there was a Buzz that had not yet been claimed at the Volkswagen dealer in Waco. I called Ronnie (via Marian), and we were on the road in about 30 minutes. That afternoon (into the evening) was spent haggling over this and that, and Saturday morning I went BACK to Waco and came back to the Curious House with the Buzz. I have yet to give 'it' a name. Could be a boy, could be a girl. What do you think? SO...whoever provides me with the winning (my sole decision) name will win the grand prize of $1.17US in loose change, and recognition in this journal on a date still to be determined. The contest starts now. So, now for the typical stuff. It was a good morning for a walk, and after that, it was a good morning for a brunch with Alisha and Reuben. We went to the Original Pancake House, one of my favorite places for brunch. Or lunch. After brunch, I came home for a bit and did a couple things, and then I headed to the airport to retrieve Val and Paulina and Oliver. They were in Playa for ten days, and they had a great time. They only got to scuba one day because of bad weather, but any scuba is a great scuba. On the way back to the Curious House, I went down DBWoods for two reasons; there was a car on the side of the road (maybe for sale) that I saw the other day, and I wanted to get some chocolate milk (low fat) at HEB. I struck out on both missions. The car was not there and there was still no low fat chocolate milk that I was looking for. In the last two days, I have bought two different brands of low fat chocolate milk, tried one of them, and don't care for it. Maybe it is all in my head. Okay, now, think of a name for the Buzz.

Volume 16 - Day 363/3, 2024 - Saturday

I did less today than even I could have imagined. I did make it to walk this morning with Richard and Paul, then fed the girls and I had some cereal. Then it was down for a series of naps and watching the television until I was rousted up around 3 and decided I would venture to Target. I even had a list. There were five things on my list, I managed to get two of them. I put the top down on the little white car on the way home, it was a pretty afternoon, 81 degrees and the sun was out. Once I got home, I did more nothing. Amazingly, I got a lot of nothing done today. Tomorrow I am going to brunch with Alisha and Reuben, and later in the afternoon I will go retrieve Paulina, Val and Oliver from the airport. The photo accompanying this journal entry was taken yesterday with the sun at our backs during our walk. Me and Richard. 

Volume 16 - Day 362/4, 2024 - Friday

You may all go to Hell. I am going to Costco. That is probably not what Davy Crockett said, but that was what I said this afternoon. It was a nice morning, and Richard and Paul and I had a nice walk. I had an 11:30 appointment this morning and a couple things to do before that, so I got to my appointment at 11, and I out of there at 11:35. That is the first time that has happened. On the way home, I had another couple stops to make, and then I went down for a nap, accompanied by a couple girls. When I woke up, I went to Home Depot, Academy and HEB. All-in-all, it was not a bad day. Now, I think I need to ready the morning paper, just to see if anything has gone on in the world that I might have missed. Probably not. I have a couple things planned for tomorrow, and it is supposed to rain between 8AM and Noon. That won't bother me at all, and it will be welcomed. To be honest, the lemon raspberry muffins were really not what I anticipated for all those days. Ugh.

Volume 16 - Day 361/5, 2024 - Thursday

So, the day after Christmas was nothing too exciting. Calm, no hysteria or anything like that. It was very foggy this morning when I got up, and after our walk, my hair was soaking wet. It stayed grey and misty through most of the morning, and the sun did come out about 1 o'clock. I got some work done in the office, and that was good. I had an opportunity to speak with a couple of our Landlords, and a couple tenants, but all was good. I have been feeding the girls mail-order dog food for at least the last four months or so. I started with Farmers Dog and now they are eating Nom Nom. I had a LOT of store bought dog food that I took in to the office, and Carrie and Kerry took some of it. I then headed to the Georgetown Shelter, but they said they no longer accept food. Interesting. SO...Marian and Ronnie got what was left of the dog food, and now I know it won't just spoil sitting in the garage. Right now, I am not planning on going in to the office tomorrow, but I do have one appointment in the late morning. It all depends on how the appointment goes as to whether or not I go in to the office. We shall see. The photo accompanying this entry was taken on this date a year ago, I seem to be falling down on the photo taking.

Volume 16 - Day 360/6, 2024 - Wednesday - Christmas Day

Merry Christmas everybody, I hope you all had a great day. Personally, my day was just the way I wanted it to be, I went for a walk this morning, and then I did not leave the house again until Richard and Marge and I went to Wasabi in Georgetown for dinner. Otherwise, I sat in the big chair with the two girls and watched television and took naps all day. It was not a really great day in central Texas to do anything else, I do not think there was a minute of sunshine today. All grey, gloomy, damp and chilly. That's pretty much it, short and sweet, in and out and nobody gets hurt. More tomorrow.

Volume 16 - Day 359/7, 2024 - Tuesday

There has been a lot of food consumed today. After our walk this morning, we went and enjoyed our ROMEO breakfast. There were five of us today, Rick, Richard, Paul, James and me. Monument Cafe was busy, but we got a table pretty quickly, and we all had a great time. The modus operandi has always been that the Total Stranger Tuesday would feature a lady or two, but today, there was a table full of Highway Patrol men, and since I had not yet been arrested in Georgetown, I decided to test my luck. It was not unanimous that they would be okay with me taking an ussie, but the one hold-out caved, and I got the photo. The other ROMEOs encouraged the men, and applauded when the deed was done. After breakfast, I went down for a nap with the girls, and at Noon:15, Jimmie and Linda picked me up and we went to lunch at the Salty Sow in Austin. I had a good burger, no top bun, and that kind of put me over the top, food consumption wise. We rode around a while after lunch, and made a stop at Trader Joe's in northwest Austin, and then headed home. Just in time for another nap. I have no real plans for tomorrow, except for our morning walk, and that is just fine with me. Nothing to worry about. I will talk to y'all later...

volume 16 - Day 358/8, 2024 - Monday

It was a very nice day today in central Texas. About 46 degrees when I got up and took off for our walk, and the temperature reached 78 degrees. I swear I heard the weather prognosticators say there was a cold front coming through, but every day in the seven day forecast says it will be in the mid to upper 70s. Not bad, this is when the weather in central Texas is really nice. Not so much in July and August. All was good in the office today, and I had an appointment with the pest control company (mice or other vermin in the attic), so I left about 1:15. They did not show up. I called, they did not answer. They can't say they were here and I wasn't, I have cameras, and I know exactly who was at my house today, and none of them were the pest control guys. Whatever. I went out to check the mail a few minutes ago (after 6PM) and there was nothing in the box. As I was walking away, the carriers were just pulling up. We really miss our regular carrier, we all liked her, but she is out with an injury, and just hope she makes it back soon. Tomorrow is going to be a fun day, I think. First a walk, then the ROMEO breakfast, then lunch with Jimmie and Linda at the Salty Sow in Austin. Never been, it should be interesting. Should be well fed by this time tomorrow... Also, I will try to do a better job of taking photos for these journal entries...

Volume 16 - Day 357/9, 2024 - Sunday

It turned out to be a beautiful day in central Texas, and Richard, Paul and I started it out with a nice walk. It was in the mid 40s, and that did not require gloves or a hat. Very nice. After the walk and after I fed the girls and myself, I put the plants back outside, front and back. Then, I started watching Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley, but it did not really keep my attention. So...I went out in the garage and straightened up some stuff, did some this-and-that, and made thing a little better organizing wise. I love working in the garage. A little while later, Linda and Jimmie invited me to go with them to have lunch in Belton at Miller's Smokehouse Barbecue. Very good, I had a sliced brisket sandwich (moist), fries and corn bread. It was way too much food, and lots of fries were left on the tray. On the way back, we stopped at Costco, and I bought nothing, and Linda bought some staples. Interestingly, Pam asked me this morning if I needed anything from Costco, I didn't, because I had just been there a couple days ago. Mike is coming in to town on Saturday, and I spied some Lemon Raspberry Muffins that looked really good, and I may go back before Mike arrives and get a package of them. I did not move either vehicle today, not that there is anything wrong with that. Tomorrow, I will head in to the office for a few things, and then the office is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Back in on Thursday and Friday. 

Volume 16 - Day 356/10, 2024 - Saturday

It was 34 degrees outside when I got up this morning, and when I left for our walk it was 32.7 degrees. The morning glories look like they made it, so that 7/10 of a degree was all they needed, I guess. We had a good walk, and I am the guy that generally gives treats to the dogs we pass along the way. The only dog we passed this morning was this one, but it wasn't too interested in the treat. I do not take rejection well, but I was able to complete the walk. After breakfast, the girls and I went down for a nice nap, and then I got up and did a few things in the garage, and followed through with my decision to do a little shopping. I went to the At Home store in Cedar Park, and bought nothing. Then I went to Target, where I bought dog treats, some candles and a couple books (gifts for Wells). The candles were shown as 'buy one get one at half price,' as were the two books. At 'self-checkout' the discounts were not applied, and it was explained that the offer was for the customers in the Target club, whatever that is. Whatever it i, I am now a member, and all I need is more emails. Ugh. Okay, then I stopped at HEB before going home, and got ice cream, milk and something else, but I don't remember what it was. I was looking for pre-made mixes for the bread maker I got through a TREPAC auction, but I could not find any. I can find it on Amazon, but it looks kind of complicated. Even so, I expect I will buy it after I finish this journal entry. Tomorrow is shaping up to be a quiet day, and that is perfectly okay with me. I will do some straightening up in the garage. I take great comfort in straightening up the garage, and I don't understand how I always seen to un-straighten it over the course of a couple weeks. Whatever.

Volume 16 - Day 355/11, 2024 - Friday

Well, the day did not go as I had planned it, but I guess it all works out the way it is supposed to. Richard and Paul and I had a nice walk this morning, it was in the 40's, much warmer than yesterday, but it was still bundling up kind of weather. I did not go in to Austin today...well, that is not really accurate. I did not go in to the office today. I did go in to take a sign and lock box off a property, and then I had lunch with Eileen. I cannot believe neither one of us remembered to take an ussie. Ugh. I had an errand to get taken care of on the way home, and that was okay. I got home about 4 o'clock, and it was time for the girls to go outside. I went down for a quick nap, and watched the news. So far, this day sounds extra exciting, doesn't it? Well, I guess it really wasn't. Anyway...it is nice winding down this year, and getting ready for the next year. I was surprised last night when one of my neighbors brought me some home made cookies, and I got a couple little gifts from Eileen at lunch, and Wells (Jimmie and Linda's grandson) brought me some pralines from their visit to New Orleans. No estate ales tomorrow, but I think I will find stuff to do. I expect the Curious House will experience its' first freeze of the season; the plants are in, but the faucets are not covered yet, it won't be that cold lang enough to do any damage. Oh yeah, I did a couple loads of laundry before I headed out, and now I have plenty of clean clothes. That's important!

Volume 16 - Day 354/12, 2024 - Thursday

It is the day after our annual company Christmas party, and I am pretty sure everyone had a really good time. I had a nice walk this morning with Paul, Richard and James, and it was chilly. Sweat pants, gloves, stocking cap and a pretty decent jacket. I did a casual prep for going in to the office, and got there at about 10:30. Since today is Thursday, that means it is Cheeseburger Special day at Sandy's, and we were ALL in. Yummy good! There is one more chance before this year comes to an end, and I expect we will take advantage of it. After lunch, I did some this-and-that in the office and took off about 1:30. I stopped at Costco on the way home and got Skinny Pop and some cereal. Nothing else caught my eye, and that is okay. I am not planning on going in to the office tomorrow, but I am having lunch with Eileen, and then I have a couple other errands to get done. There are no estate sales on Saturday, but I expect I will find something to do that will occupy my time. We may well have a freeze overnight Friday into Saturday, but the plants are all already in the house or in the garage. I am pretty sure I have either mice or rats (let's go with mice) in the attic, and I have an appointment with the pest control guy on Monday afternoon. First world problems! The photo accompanying this journal entry is part of the Austin skyline taken from the boat last night. When I moved to Austin in 1985, none of what you see was here. NOTHING. There was a nice little downtown when I arrived, but you cannot see any of what WAS here. Interesting.

Volume 16 - Day 353/13, 2024 - Wednesday

Okay, another day, another dollar. Walk, talk, fix stuff. I did not go in to the office until about 11 o'clock this morning, and I was there for a couple hours. I got home, and did a few things, and then headed back in to Austin for our annual Holiday Boat ride. It was a lot of fun, and I think everyone had a good time. Food was good, views were good, the company was good, and the weather cooperated nicely. It rained early this morning, and a cold front came through, but now it is in the mid-50s, and the humidity has gone way down. I don't think it is going to get close to freezing overnight, but it will be cooler. Hopefully no freezes in the near future, but it will be cooler for the next couple days. I did bring the plants in this morning, just in case. After the boat ride, we went down Guadalupe to 37th street, but now they block the street, so you have to walk instead of driving down the street. It was always fun visiting 37th Street years ago, and I might just have to take another field trip to see it before the end of the season. 

Volume 16 - Day 352/14, 2024 - Tuesday

Tuesday, another day. Paul and James and I had a nice walk, another shorts and t-shirt walk. It was 80 degrees again today, but I think it will be down in the 60s tomorrow, and maybe a few days of temperatures in the 30s overnight. I will bring the plants back in tomorrow afternoon, no sense leaving them outside to freeze. Maybe. Better safe than sorry. Rick and I had our ROMEO breakfast this morning, too, and that means it was a Total Stranger Tuesday. Today was, apparently, a Two-Fer Total Stranger Tuesday, and these to ladies were very nice. Next Tuesday is Christmas Eve, but we are planning to have our usual breakfast, no reason not to. Everything that needed to be done in the office got done, and I headed home about 2:30. I think. The year is winding down, and that is perfectly okay with me. There are a few things I would like to get accomplished still, but not really anything of any significance. For sure I know that I am a really lucky man, and I should spend more time counting my blessings.

Volume 16 - Day 351/15, 2024 - Monday

Well, today was Monday. It was not particularly terrible, but it has created a multiple change of plans. Most of you didn't even know what the original plan was, so there is really no sense in telling you what the changes are. So there! Richard and Paul and I had a nice walk this morning, it was in the mid 60s, and it was nice. Shorts and a t-shirt. Richard has an appointment in the morning, so there is a question about whether he will do half-a-walk, or no walk. It should be another nice morning. I got in to the office earlier than usual, I knew I had stuff to do in the afternoon, so I got in early. I had lunch with Michael and Lynda, and that was very nice, as always. Then back to the office. I did what had to be done, and left the office about 2:30. Paulina and Val were coming over at 4, and I had one errand to get done before I got home. I got to the Curious House with a few minutes to spare. I had a neighbors open house at 7, and I am pretty sure everyone had a nice time. About 16 of our neighbors visited, and I enjoyed it very much. Tomorrow will be the ROMEOs breakfast, and Richard will not be in attendance. I'm not too sure what else will be going on tomorrow, but I think it will be pretty calm. Go outside and look up at the moon, if you get this and it is still dark outside.

Volume 16 - Day 350/16, 2024 - Sunday

It was a warm morning, and we had a little over a quarter-inch of rain over night. The walk was good, and we got most of the worlds problems solved. After the walk, I fed the girls and settled in to watch Sunday Morning. I don't remember any of what was on the program, and I am pretty sure I got up and putzed around the house for a while. I left the house and headed to brunch, where seven of us met and had a good time. We have not all been together in a while, and it was good seeing everyone. I considered vacuuming, but then I reconsidered it. I am not sure what I did, but I assume I did some stuff between naps. I did have a couple turkey/pecan/cranberry flips for dinner, and I am telling you, my world is definitely expanding beyond pimento cheese! At 5:30 I went with Jimmie and Linda and their grandson Wells for ice cream, and then we played a game of Rummikub. Marian brought me a tin of Christmas cookies, and they look delicious. I am supposed to be cutting back on sweets, but I guess there is no time to start like next year! Tomorrow, I will have lunch with Michael and Lynda, and a few of the neighbors will be coming over tomorrow evening. I'm still not going to vacuum. It has been grey and cloudy and dribbly all day, and I don't do that well on days like that. I need sun! The photo accompanying this journal entry looks black and white, but it is actually a color photo. That is just how monotone it has been all day!

Volume 16 - Day 349/17, 2024 - Saturday

It was in the middle 60s when we walked this morning, and Richard and I both wore shorts. Even so, we both had to shed jackets about half-way through the walk. Once I got home, I had some cereal, fed the girls, and then blew some leaves out of the garage. Marian, Marge, Diane and I hit two estate sales, and of course I bought some stuff. Everything I bought was 50% off, so it could have been worse. I think I spent about $35, and that could have been worse, too. Val and Paulina came over about 4 o'clock, and we went in to Georgetown and had dinner at Grumpy George's. Fish & Chips were really good, and I am full right now. We walked around the square for a few minutes, and had our pictures taken with Santa and in front of the big tree. Lots of people on the Square, it was fun. Tomorrow morning I expect we will walk, and then I will meet Candy, Alisha, and Terry for brunch. I'm not sure if there is anything else on the schedule tomorrow afternoon, not that there is anything wrong with that. 

Volume 16 - Day 348/18, 2024 - Friday

I did half-a-walk this morning with Paul and Dick. I had an appointment at the dermatologist at 8 o'clock, and I actually made it. It would have been much easier if I had not done a walk at all, but I was not too stinky for the doctor. Plus, she and her assistant and I get along really well, and we always get a couple inappropriate jokes in before the appointment is over. I stopped at HEB on the way home, looking for nutritious food, and ended up with $67 worth of grapes and chicken salad. I got home and emptied the groceries, and immediately got the girls in the car to head to the beautiful parlor. The Piglet is not always a fan of riding in the car, I am not sure how she can tell the difference between 'just' a ride, and a ride to the vet or the groomer. But, they look great, and you can see the proof in the photo accompanying this journal entry. Callie has never been fond of having her picture taken, but I faked her out, and this one looks pretty decent. It has been dribbly raining all day long. I just went out to check, and there is 0.08" of dribble in the gauge. I got my newspaper renewal in the mail today, $612.29. We do not get a printed newspaper on Saturdays, and we do not get printed newspaper deliveries on various Holidays throughout the year. By my calculations, that means, ideally, we get the newspaper delivered 306 days a year, and that equals $2 per day. I understand that they all want us to go to digital, but I am not a fan of digital, but this renewal might just put me over the edge. Not sure yet. It will be fun going to estate sales tomorrow, I will let you know if I find a few things I did not know I could not live without.

Volume 16 - Day 347/19, 2024 - Thursday

Okay, it was another day today, for which we are all happy. And a special Happy Birthday to my best friend in the world, Mike in Delray Beach! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! It was not as cold this morning as it was yesterday morning, when I got up this morning, it was (I think) 37 degrees. We made it up into the 60s today (I think) and tomorrow looks like it will be grey and cloudy. I had a couple errands to get done in the morning, and then it was off to the office. I took off to the blood bank around noon, and then had an errand to run after that. After the errand, I was BACK to the office, then there was an errand to get accomplished on the way home. All that, and all the errands got done. Tomorrow morning I have an appointment at the dermatologist, and then the girls are going to the beautiful parlor after that. I expect it will be even warmer for our walk in the morning, and the photo accompanying this entry is me and a couple of my besties at the blood bank. Always fun!

Volume 16 - Day 346/20, 2024 - Wednesday

All is well that ends well. There have been a couple ups and downs today, and all that will be discussed here are the ups. I didn't do a walk this morning because I had to be in Austin at 9 o'clock. From what I hear, and what I saw on the thermometer, it was a cold walk for Dick and Paul. When I got up, the thermometer was registering right at 32 degrees, and when I left a few hours later, it was up to 33. When I took the girls out this evening, I did not pay attention to the morning glories, but I just went out and looked, and it looks like they survived. I think it is supposed to be a little bit warmer overnight tonight, so hopefully they will do well for a while longer. My appointment this morning was at the Austin Board of REALTORS® for their 2024 Celebration of Leadership. I was ABoR Chair in 2014, and the photo accompanying this entry is of the past Chairpersons that were able to attend. It was nice seeing all these peeps, but it seems some of them have aged better than others. After this, I had another meeting in the same building, and I left for the office about 12:30. I did what needed to be done, and left for home about 2:30. I had another appointment, but made it home all in one piece. It could have been a lot worse!

Volume 16 - Day 345/21, 2024 - Tuesday

Today was kind of another stressful day, but not as bad as yesterday. It will all work out just the way it is supposed to. We had a nice walk this morning, and after that, Paul, Rick and I had a nice ROMEO breakfast. There were two Total Stranger Tuesday opportunities; the first one was not that great, and she reluctantly agreed. The other one, shown here in this journal post, was much more fun, and we all had a good time messing with each other. The lady on the left is Linda, and it was fun. I got in to the office and stayed busy with things for most of the day. I left the office at about 3:30, and had no stops to make on the way home. Once I got home, I got all the plants inside. Front plants in the garage, patio and deck plants in the dining room. I did a good job cutting back on potted plants this year, so it only took me about 20 minutes, total, to get the plants in. It is not 100% certain that it will get below freezing tonight, but just to be safe, I brought them in. Not sure about a walk in the morning, I have an appointment in Austin tomorrow morning in Austin, then another meeting at 11:30, and picking Paulina up from the airport at 2:30. I should be able to make it into the office for about an hour. In the meantime, everybody stay warm!

Volume 16 - Day 344/22, 2024 - Monday

I am spent! Today is Monday, and it was a difficult Monday for me. AND...it really wasn't all that bad, if I put everything into perspective. But...I still feel over it. We had a nice walk this morning, reflecting on Richard's 80th birthday party last night, along with a variety of wordly issues that we solved to our satisfaction. After the walk, I got in to the office, and it was sort of hectic. I just have a couple issues with tenants that I have not come across in the thirty years I have been doing this, so I am at a loss. It will all work out (probably tomorrow), and all parties to the transaction(s) will be happy. Or they had better be happy. I had one errand to get accomplished on my way home, and I did get that accomplished, and I have been conversing with a couple Landlords off-and-on throughout the rest of the day. Hopefully, I am done for the day. The girls and I are all about to hunker down. It was 84 degrees in Austin today, a record. On Wednesday morning, it will be close to freezing for a couple mornings, then another warm-up. I will be bringing plants in tomorrow afternoon, just to be safe. Depending on what weather channel you watch, it may get down to 31 in Georgetown. But, it won't last long, so that is gonna just have to do. Enjoy the rest of your day.

Volume 16 - Day 343/23, 2024 - Sunday

We did get in a nice walk this morning, and that was good. It was not as cool this morning as it has been, and it is forecast to be about 80 degrees tomorrow. Then another cold front, and the possibility of really chilly temperatures after that. I wish Mother Nature would make up her mind. I did very little today, and that was nice. I did work in a couple naps. I was invited to a Tamale Party at Michael and Lynda's this afternoon, and that was very nice. When I got home, I went down for a quick nap, and then fed the girls, and shortly after that, I went to help celebrate Richard's 80th birthday. It was very nice to be there with all his (and Marge's) neighborhood friends, and his son Michael was there from New Orleans, and his brother and sister-in-law from Colorado. It was very nice, and he is very loved by all of us. I am back home now, and getting ready for another week. All should be good, I think, I have a couple meetings on Wednesday, an appointment at the blood bank on Thursday, and an appointment at the dermatologist on Friday. No big deals. 

Volume 16 - Day 342/24, 2024 - Saturday

I was going to wait on this journal entry until after the UT/GA game was over, but it may never be over. They are in overtime right now, and it is SO unlike me to know anything at all about sports stuff. I generally think that, if I root for a team and watch the game, the team I am rooting for might as well just concede defeat. I am pretty sure I am a jinx. We did not walk this morning, because, even though it did NOT rain, it felt and looked like it was going to rain. Not walking was perfectly okay with me. Pam, Marian, Judy and I went to four estate sales, and it WAS raining at the last one. Of course, I did buy some things that I had no idea I needed. Crap, Georgia just won the game, see what I told you? After the estate sales, I had some errands to run, and I got two-thirds of them done. It is still rainy and (too) cold according to me, but it is forecast to be 82 degrees on Monday, but then cooler again for the rest of the week. I still think I will be bringing the plants in on Tuesday afternoon. I have a couple things planned for tomorrow, not so sure about brunch (doesn't look good right now), and there is a Tamale Party early tomorrow afternoon at Michael and Lynda's, and then we will celebrate Richard's 80th birthday later in the afternoon. It will be a fun time, had by all. When I was out running errands, I did see a little bit of the Georgetown Stroll, in the rain, and in the cold. But, it was interesting, and it is too bad the weather kept so many people away.

Volume 16 - Day 341/25, 2024 - Friday

AMAZONESIA. I just made up this word, what do I have to do to copyright it. I think all I have to do is publish it, and then I own it. Your counsel will be appreciated. But I digress. Amazonesia is a malady spreading like the plague across the country. You can easily recognize if you are a victim if you present any of the following symptoms: Not sure what you have ordered from Amazon. Not knowing if everything you have ordered from Amazon has been delivered or not. Surprise upon seeing a package from Amazon on your stoop and wondering what is in the box. Questioning the fact that you have 13 charges from Amazon on your credit card statement and not knowing what any of the charges are for. If you are concerned that you are one of the afflicted, give me a call, we will commiserate together. But make sure you still have some money on your credit card available, and I will need the three digit code on the back of the card, too. Today was a pretty good day, it started out with a very chilly walk. The last time I looked at my thermometer, it was 53 degrees, and that is code for it is bitterly cold outside. It is going to get worse next week, I will need to bring plants in on Tuesday afternoon, but I think it will be warm again in about 10 days. I had three errands to run on the way home this afternoon, and I only completed two of them. One included a visit to a shop on the square in Georgetown, but today is the first day of their Holiday Strolls, so there was no way to get within six blocks of the place. I did manage to get to HEB, where I spent $28, and felt good that I was one of the few people there that was not screaming at someone. 

Volume 16 - Day 340/26, 2024 - Thursday

I got a lot of stuff done today, even though I did not try all that had to get anything done. It was still dribbly this morning when we walked, so I only did a half-walk. I think it will be clear and cold tomorrow, but the rain is supposed to start back tomorrow evening and through the weekend. I finished the book I was reading (listening to), The New Couple in 5B. I did not really care that much for it because I reminded me of two or three other books I had already read. But...towards the end, I'd say the last couple hours, I enjoyed it, it finally was keeping my attention. I'm not sure what I will read next, but I am not reading our book club selection for a while, because book club is not meeting this month...if I read it now I will most likely forget what I have read. It's about 7 o'clock and the mail has still not been delivered. Our regular carrier hurt her hand a while back, and the delivery times are getting worse and worse. But...it is probably still the best value in town. I know for sure I cannot (personally) get a letter somewhere as cheaply as the cost of the stamp. Chill people. I am on another one-man-crusade to bring the peace symbol back. Peace out dude! Who's with me?

Volume 16 - Day 339/27, 2024 - Wednesday

The birthday gluttony continues. Today, I had lunch with Michael and Lynda, and for dinner, I ate the sandwich that I brought home from lunch yesterday. Tomorrow I have lunch with Holly, and that will be the end of the birthday free food fair. There is always time for more people to make an invite, just let me know! As promised, the photo accompanying this entry was taken yesterday, my Total Stranger Tuesday photo. She did not know what was going on to begin with, but she warmed up to it, and she looks like a happy person! We did not walk this morning, there was a bit of drizzle and we have all been caught in downpours in the past, so we punted. Or passed. See how I did that? I had a zoom meeting at 1 o'clock in the office, and Maggie and I made a presentation to one of our clients and leasing or selling their home. It was good, and we all finished the zoom happy. I got home about 3:30 this afternoon, still dribbly rain, and there were plenty of wet road accidents. A mess. Some people think they should speed up when the roads are wet, I prefer to slow down. Overnight, we got a trace of rain in the gauge, and we are now at about 0.14". Not much, but everything has stayed wet all day. Good for the plants. The high temperatures go down to the mid-50s next week, and there is a very slight chance of a freeze in the seven day forecast. Hope not.

Volume 16 - Day 338/28, 2024 - Tuesday

Once again, I have discovered just how lucky I am. Today is my birthday. My 73rd. I have congratulated, sung too, fed, and sent birthday wishes by more people than I can keep up with. Okay, I DO know how many people fed me today. The feedings will continue tomorrow and Thursday. Never forget, if you have friends, you will never be without. Okay. We had a good walk this morning, and then we went to the ROMEO breakfast, me, Rick, Dick and Paul. Today was indeed the Total Stranger Tuesday, but I will share that photo with you tomorrow. I ordered light at breakfast, because I knew there was going to be lunch. At lunch, I ate lightly (I brought home a turkey sandwich and a piece of carrot cake), because I knew there was going to be dinner. Jimmie and Linda took me to dinner, but I did not bring anything home from dinner. I ate it all. While we were at dinner, it did rain a little bit, and when I took the girls outside, there was not eve 1/100" in the gauge. Hardly even a trace, and just enough to get the girls feet wet in the grass. I have a little more work to get done after I finish this journal entry, and then I will call it a night. Tomorrow is going to be another good day, and I am looking forward to it.

Volume 16 - Day 337/29, 2024 - Monday

Okay, it was a busy day...a good walk this morning with Paul and Richard, the some chores around the house. On Monday's I water the inside plants. I also watered stuff outside, because they don't need watering every day any more, the temperatures are no longer in the 90s or 100s. So, I just have to remember not to neglect them. I got in to the office about 9:30...it is the first of the month (okay, the 2nd), and rents are due, tenants are moving out or moving in, it is just a busy time. I got home about 3:30, and did some work from the office in the Curious House, and Marian and Ronnie came over for a few minutes. Kerry in the office (Kay, not Carrie) apparently wanted to make sure I had some Thanksgiving leftovers, or maybe she was just tired of leftovers, so I brought lots of food home from the office. I took all the leftover Halloween candy TO the office this morning, just to remove the temptation. I had another meeting (zoom) this evening starting at 6, and I got home about 8:45. My mailbox was stuffed full when I checked it, and now, I am ready to call it a day. More manana...

Volume 16 - Day 336/30, 2024 - Sunday

Well, I had big plans for the day, but it did not work out the way I had planned. I was chilly this morning, but not as chilly as yesterday, and tomorrow morning will be a little bit warmer. After our walk, I watched most of Sunday Morning, and then I started trying to straighten out the garage. I did not get as far with that project as I wanted, and then it was time to go to the blood bank. I have not ever donated on a weekend, and I just wanted to see what it was like. Not sure if I want to donate again on a weekend, it was WAY too serious for me, much more serious than during the week, where it is a fun place to be. Today I did a double platelets donation, so that was good. Have you ever seen platelets in a bag? It is yellow in the bag. I asked how, if everything I know about inside my body is red, how are platelets yellow, and no one really knew the answer. I looked it up on Google, and apparently platelets have no color, but something else makes them yellow. I guess the same was pee is yellow, according to Wells. Someone needs to explain to me how the human body functions. According to Wells. After I got back from the blood bank, I had good intentions of doing some laundry, but I didn't do that, either. Apparently, I am not particularly motivated to do much of anything at this point, maybe it will get better later in the week. Enjoy the photo of the sunrise this morning, and I will try to be motivated to seek out better photos to accompany these journal entries, too.