Volume 17 - Day 339/26, 2025 - Friday

I did a lot of this-and-that today, including going to Trader Joe's (not once but) twice! Gina was a good sport and went with me both times, and I expect I will be back there tomorrow morning soon after they open the doors (8AM). I am on a mission. Don't ask, it is just one example of my OCD. Whatever. I also walked this morning with Paul and Richard, and found time for a nap or two. I was on the phone for quite a while, trying to get some billing issues settled, and got all but two items on my chore list completed. It has been another chilly, grey day, but things are supposed to improve tomorrow, and warm up over the next several days. That will be good, even if all that gets better is that the sun will shine. I think that makes everything better. We will also have three estate sales to hit tomorrow, and I have not been to an estate sale in about a month. That will be fun. I am attaching a photo from my Antarctica trip to this entry, since I did not take a photo of anything today. We will see what the day brings tomorrow.

Volume 17 - Day 338/27, 2025 - Thursday

I have lived in central Texas for a little over 40 years, and in that time, I have visited the Capitol dozens, if not hundreds, of times. Yesterday was the first time I ever used the north entrance, and I was totally disoriented once I got in. BUT, I soon figured it out, and got my business taken care of, in and out, nobody got hurt! It was 'kind of' raining this morning, so we did not walk, and I don't think anyone was particularly dismayed about that. Honestly, I don't think any of us are that keen on our daily walks, but we do it because we need to do it, and because we get to moan and groan and solve the problems of the world. I don't expect it will be rainy tomorrow, so we will be taking a morning walk. I had a nice lunch this morning with Michael and Lynda, and it was nice seeing them. I had a 1:30 appointment in Georgetown, and I made it back with a few minutes to spare. I made a few stops on the way home, and Jimmie and Linda and I took off for dinner at 3:30. I am making a trip to Trader Joe's tomorrow with Gina, so let me know if you need anything, I am taking requests!

Volume 17 - Day 337/28, 2025 - Wednesday

Well, in case there was any doubt, yes, today is my birthday. 74. It's alright, nothing particularly unsettling about it to me, just (really) another day. I need to remind all of you that I consider myself to be a really lucky man, and I wish more people could be as lucky as I am. We did get a walk in this morning, and then I had a meeting to get to in Austin. I fear I may be becoming one of those people that lives in the suburbs, and has discovered that Austin no longer has the appeal it did when I first moved to central Texas in 1985. But...the burbs are quite acceptable, and I am quite content to be here. I took the birthday cake from last night to the 10 o'clock meeting, and left there with kolaches and bundt cake cupcakes. I continued to collect food and wishes as the day went on, and this evening I went to dinner with Jimmie and Linda. When I got home, Billy and Gina brought me more food over, so I think I am set through the end of the year with food in the refrigerator. It is kind of dribbly outside, and I think that is expected to continue for the near term. If it is still going on tomorrow morning, I expect we will not walk, which will be just fine with me. I am having lunch with Michael and Lynda tomorrow, and then I have a 1:30 appointment back in Georgetown. The photo accompanying this entry is the cover of the birthday card from Jimmie and Linda, probably the best birthday card I have received in a while. What could be better than Death by Puppies?

Volume 17 - Day 336/29, 2025 - Tuesday

So...today was a chilly and busy day. It was 32 degrees when I got out of bed this morning, and it was not any warmer when Richard, Paul and I took off for our walk. After the walk, the three of us, plus Rick, met for the ROMEO breakfast. Between breakfast and getting back to the Curious House, I ran SIX errands, but they are all done now! Then it was down for a nap, and then the doorbell rang (which always sets the girls off), and it was the guy there to fix the outside lights. That took him about 45 minutes, and it was another instance of squirrels chewing through the wires. I don't have a solution to that problem, so I expect I will be doing that once or twice a season for the long term. Tonight was our neighborhood Drinking Liberally group, and we all had a good time. Tonight, the group turned in to an early birthday celebration for me and Richard (whose birthday is Monday). Great fun, great neighbors. I have a couple appointments in Austin tomorrow, so that will take up a good part of the day. Lunch with Carrie and dinner with Jimmie and Linda. I am a lucky man!

Volume 17 - Day 335/30, 2025 - Monday

I wimped out as soon as I got out of bed this morning, and I turned on the heat. It was, I think, in the low 40s outside, and the low 60s inside the house. I actually got cold enough to wake up overnight, but I did not do anything about it until it was time to get up. It has been grey and overcast all day, with little dribblies of rain, and we are expecting a light freeze overnight. Then it is expected to warm up again, and no more freezing forecast for a couple weeks. After our walk, I brought all the plants in from the back, then I took the little white car in for more service. I got a call that one of the tires needed to be replaced, tires that I just bought last year, and has about 16,000 miles on it. BUT, it is out of warranty, because...and I just really can't get in to it right now. Needless to say, it is not logical to me, but it seems to be perfectly logical to the dealership that sold me the tires. Whatever. In between times, I started my search for a new doctor, and I have an appointment with one on the 15th. I brought all the plants in from the front, and one it too big to bring in, so I have it covered with a sheet, and there is a heat lamp under it, so that should keep it from freezing. At least, that is the plan. I think the lemons are pretty close to being harvested, and I only got three this year, hopefully more next year. 

Volume 17 - Day 334/31, 2025 - Sunday

Well, if you substantially discounted the temperature and the wind, it would be considered a beautiful day in central Texas. It was a chilly day, I don't think we made it past the low 50s, and a pretty good wind. We did walk, and it was good, and after I got home and fed the girls, we all (the three of us) went down for naps. I will be bringing plants in, front and back, tomorrow, and I will likely put them all back out Tuesday or Wednesday. I did cave in and got the pizza I have been craving. It took me longer to place the order on-line than it did to go pick it up and bring it home. I confess to being a Luddite when it comes to some things technical, but really, ordering a pizza. I am getting comfortable with the fact that tomorrow is December 1st, but it does not seem like it should be December already. Bring it on...I am looking forward to some planned travel next year, and I will spend the New Year Holiday in Playa. There are all kinds of thing planned for December, so just hide and watch. But...tomorrow, I will be taking the little white car in for MORE service, and then I am planning to get proactive in finding a new doctor. The doctor I have been going to for the past 25 years is retiring in the middle of January, but I expect that he will be winding down some time in December. I need to get ready for that change, and I need to make sure that a new doctor is ready for me. I have questions!

Volume 17 - Day 333/32, 2025 - Saturday

It was warmer this morning than it was yesterday, but I think that will be short lived. The walk was good, me, Richard, James and Paul. Sixty degrees, and later this afternoon, we were in the middle 70s. Tomorrow morning, I expect it will be in the lower 40s, and I doubt we will get out of the 40s all day. It is going to be cooler later in the week, and I am starting to think about which plants I will take in to the garage, and which plants I will cover and place a heat lamp under the cover. The worst of it for the immediate future should be over by Wednesday afternoon. I did not do much of anything after the walk, but I did get motivated about 12:30 and took a shower and got ready to go to see Nuremberg. I think it was a well done movie, thought provoking. The movie has certainly sparked some strong opinions on line, and I think it is good that there are those conversations going on. When I go to Italy in May, my plan will also be to Munich for a day or two (to maybe visit Hanna and Lisa), and the train ride will take me through Nuremberg. It will be interesting to pass through the train station that was depicted in the film. I had intended to stop and get a pizza on the way home, but I decided to put that off until tomorrow. It seems the rain that was predicted is going to bypass us, but fingers are crossed for tomorrow afternoon. I did see some lightning on the drive home, but that was too far off to do us any good.

Volume 17 - Day 332/33, 2025 - Friday

It was a very calm day after Thanksgiving for me and the girls. I did walk this morning, and then got home and did very little of anything. I eventually got a little bit of motivation, and went in to Georgetown to Galaxy Bakery for some scones to hold me over for the weekend. Traffic was not really terrible, maybe even lighter than usual, but there was very little parking available around the Square. The annua tree lighting ceremony is this evening, right about now in fact, so lots of the streets and parking lots were closed off. Idid find a spot about two blocks away from the bakery, and managed to get my scones. I can not confirm nor deny that I was parked in a tow away zone, and honestly, I could not interpret the signs that made it very confusing about whether parking was appropriate or not. I did not get towed, so that is all I really cared about. And why is everything on tv about football. Pick one channel, and let me have the other three hundred channels to try and find something interesting. Lort! The girls did enjoy time out in the backyard today, and I got this photo of some wildlife on the back deck.

Volume 17 - Day 331/34, 2025 - Thursday, Thanksgiving Day

Well, that was fun! James and Paul and Richard and I had a nice walk this morning, it was a little bit chilly, but we did it, and we did solve many of the world's problems. After the walk, I did nothing much, but I did go to HEB to buy some things that I should have bought yesterday; salad, salad dressings, some of this and some of that. I got the Curious House ready for company off-and-on throughout the day, and got in a couple naps, too. I changed the outside lights from everyday to Holiday lights, and apparently I followed the directions properly, and everything worked. Every year, I have to follow the directions, and I am not really keen on following directions. Val and Paulina and Oliver got to the Curious House at about 3 o'clock, and we sat down for dinner around 4. It was a good dinner (I was responsible for heating everything up), and I was happy to share it with them. I have a lot to be thankful for, that's for sure. There is not a lot on my chore list, Paulina and I may go to the tree lighting at the Square, not sure. It will be getting cooler for the next seven to ten days, but no freezes in the forecast. I will be covering plants and putting a heat lamp out there with them pretty soon, but nothing to bring in to the garage as of yet. We shall see. If you want to see a video of my Antarctica trip, let me know and I will email it to you. It is fun, and brings back lots of remembrances of the trip.

Volume 17 - Dy 330/35, 2025 - Wednesday

I did not sleep very well at all last night. I'm not sure why, but I feel like all I did was toss and turn. I made up for it with a few naps today, so that is good. The day started with a nice walk, a bit chillier than yesterday, and that seems to be the trend for the near future. No freezes in any of the forecasts yet, but I think I need to start getting the garage straightened around to make room for some of the plants. It will be sheets and heat lamps for the plants in the back. After the walk, I had some errands to run; a stop at the post office, then on to the first grocery visit to pick up dinner for tomorrow. I took the slow roads everywhere I went today, there was no need to be in a hurry. Later, I went to HEB and did a little more shopping. How do you spell 'crazy' in central Texas? H-E-B! I don't use very much ice, I am just not in that habit. I emptied the ice in the ice maker, hoping it will have some ice tomorrow is Val, Paulina or Oliver would like ice in their sodas. Or water. Whatever. THe good new is, dinner will be ready in a few minutes.

Volume 17 - Day 329/36, 2025 - Tuesday

The day started off with me getting out of the bed. You thought I was going to say something about walking, didn't you? Well, shortly after getting out of the bed, Paul, Dick and I went for a walk. Since it is Tuesday, we then met for the ROMEO breakfast, and after that, I took the little white car in for service. Poor little white car, it has to go back on Monday for 'more stuff.' Don't they always? Whatever. My friends Carol and Mike invited me to join them at a David Byrne concert in Austin tonight, and it was a great concert. To be honest, I never paid much attention to David Byrne or the Talking Heads, but I was totally impressed. I will have to pay better attention in the future. I have turned on the sprinkler to let it run overnight, and then I will turn it off again. It is supposed to be considerably colder tomorrow, we got in to the high 70s today, and I put the top down on the little white car. I think the top will be down for a while. I have nothing on the schedule tomorrow, but I feel confident that I will find something to fill up the time. I feel certain I will visit one (if not two or three) groceries tomorrow, in anticipation of Thanksgiving on Thursday. 

Volume 17 - Day 328/37, 2025 - Monday

As it is wont to do, the sun came out this afternoon about 3 o'clock. Otherwise, it was grey and overcast most of the day. This morning when it was time to walk, it was raining, so we decided not to walk. Then it quit raining, and Paul and I did a half walk. It did kind of rain here and there in the morning, and at the Curious House, we recorded 0.04" of rain. Not much to talk about, but it is something. I had an appointment to take the Buzz in for service on Wednesday, and then I remembered that it was the day before Thanksgiving, and I plan to be busy on that day, so I took it in this morning, and got done what needed to be done. Later in the afternoon, I took the oven for a test drive; I have not used it for (probably) over four years. I did use it a couple times when I first moved in, but then I found it unnecessary to use, since I have a little toaster oven that works just as good. The bottom line is, the oven works and it no longer smells like a new oven when it is working. IYKYK. Tomorrow plans: Walk, ROMEO Breakfast, little white car service, nap(s). 

Volume 17 - Day 327/38, 2025 - Sunday

The photo accompanying this entry is as good as it got today. After the walk, clouds rolled in, and grey skies dominated the day. I did very little today; I went to HEB with three things on the list, and totally forgot about one of them. Butter. Late morning, Gina brought me some french toast and some bacon. That was my dinner, and it was delicious. I went to two estate sales and I bought one little thing that was priced at a dollar...and everything was 60% off, so... I'm taking the little white car in for service on Tuesday, and the Buzz will go in for service on Wednesday. On Tuesday night, I have been invited to a David Byrne concert, and I think that will be a lot of fun. Otherwise, the week ahead seems to be calm. Oops, I forgot, Thursday is Thanksgiving, and that is going to fun, even the football parts! 

Volume 17 - Day 326/39, 2025 - Saturday

A lovely day in central Texas. A good morning walk with James, Dick and Paul, and after the walk, I fed the girls and had a bagel for myself. I left about 9 o'clock to retrieve Paulina, we had a date at the blood bank to donate platelets. I have two appointments made for December, and I will continue going twice a month for the foreseeable future. For the first time since I have been donating, I donated from the vein in my right arm. I have always donated from my left arm, but the last time I donated, the vein in my left arm became angry, so I am giving it a rest. I think I will use my right arm for the next couple months, and then I think I will alternate arms. I really don't want my veins to be angry with me. I am fascinated with the book I am reading, Demon Copperhead. It received a lot of awards last year, and is allegedly a new take on David Copperfield which I can't remember if I ever read or not. BUT, it is an amazing book, not a happy book, but I am fascinated with it. It is about a 20 hour listen (I do Audible), and I am about half-way through. It is a side of life I have been lucky enough not to have experienced first hand, but it is a view of life that many do experience. I highly recommend it if you are looking for something that will keep your attention from the very beginning. The girls and I are basically piled up for the night, and we have had the windows open for that last couple of days. It is chilly outside, but still about 70 degrees inside, and very comfortable. So far today, I have not had to put on my winter slippers. 

Volume 17 - Day 325/40, 2025 - Friday

We got no more rain overnight, and the windows have been open since last night. The sun finally came out a little bit this afternoon, but it was mostly a grey day. Paul, Dick and I walked, and that was good. It was in the 60s, but it was not uncomfortable. As the day progressed, it was more and more chilly, and I put on my winter time house shoes because my feet are cold. But I am not going to close the windows. I was supposed to be at the truck accessory place today at noon, and apparently I can no longer tell time. I had it all timed out so I would not be late, and in fact I was an hour early! The running boards are installed on the Buzz, and now all I need to do is to get used to them. They are a definite help getting in, I am still awkward getting out. Fingers crossed. On the way home, I stopped by the VW dealer in Georgetown, a place that I am not thrilled to patronize, because I keep seeing messages like this when I get in...Inspection Service in 9 Days. Apparently it is just a kind of a routine inspection. In two or three weeks, I will have had the Buzz for a year, and it only has 6.200 miles on it. Speaking of 6,200 miles, while I was in Antarctica, we were told that our voyage, round trip, was 1,610.77 miles. It seemed like a lot farther. Tomorrow, Paulina and I will go and leave some platelets at the blood bank, which means that tonight and tomorrow morning, I am eating things that help build my iron levels up. Salmon, eggs, spinach. I'm glad I like those. No more rain in the forecast for a couple days, and the weather is supposed to cool down a little bit. In Texas, a little bit means 2 or 3 degrees cooler during the day, and overnight lows in the 50s.

Volume 17 - Day 324/41, 2025 - Thursday

We got a trace of rain off-and-on today, and finally this afternoon, we got a couple good showers. Now, it is still dribbling a little bit, I just went and checked the gauge, and so far 0.29". That is a good start. Jimmie, Dick, Paul and I walked this morning, and that was fun. Later in the morning, I went to Target (dog food and dog treats), I stopped at the little white car dealership and made an appointment for next Tuesday for regular service. I thin had a couple other stops before getting back to the Curious House. I had a 1:30 appointment, and then about an hour later, Jimmie and Linda and I went to Salt Trader for dinner. I had the fried fish and shrimp platter. It has been a while. Paulina came over at about 4:30, and we took off to Costco, so I can cross that off my list. I have worked for many years to convince people that I am helpless, and I think it is working. On Tuesday, Jimmie and Linda brought me food. Last night (I think it was last night) Kyung and James brought me food. Tonight, Billy and Gina brought me food. My neighbors are really generous and fun to hang around with. I also got the PowerBall pool going again, so we have that covered. Now, I am going to go get in the big chair and wait for more rain. I have never had a planter of impatiens look more beautiful than this, and I hope I can repeat it next year. They will still be good for a while, no freezing weather in the forecast...yet.

Volume 17 - Dy 323/42, 2025 - Wednesday

I'm happy to be getting back into my routines. I like very much having routines, and knowing what is on the schedule here and there. The day started with a walk with Dick and Paul. Some how, we missed Jimmie, but if it is not raining tomorrow morning (as predicted), he will join us for a walk. After the walk, I cleaned up some things in the office, and purged some things, and got the desk and work table cleared off so you can actually see that there is a desk and a work table in there. Then I was off to Austin, I picked up prescriptions, made a stop at Upper Crust, and then a stop at the place that has had the Buzz running boards for five weeks now. I now have an appointment on Friday to have them installed, and I hope that all goes well and that I will be satisfied, this time. Once back at the Curious House, I went down for a nap, and then took off for dinner with Jimmie and Linda. The girls were about an hour late getting their dinner, and I am pretty sure they thought they would never have another meal, and they would soon be dying of starvation. I don't have a whole lot on the calendar for the next several days, but I am pretty sure I will find something to keep me busy. I wonder what this journal would look like if I totally quit trying to correct all the spelling errors? There is always Paul!

Volume 17 - Day 322/43, 2025 - Tuesday

Well, I left on a Tuesday and I returned on a Tuesday. I'm just glad I don't have an office to go in to in the morning. Many of the people I was in Antarctica with were scheduled to go to work today. I left Buenos Aires last night at about 10PM. We made it to Houston this morning, maybe even a little earlier than scheduled. I went through customs, retrieved my luggage (maybe not in that order), checked in, put my luggage back in to the checked luggage place, and headed to the gate. The plane from Houston to Austin was not even close to being full...maybe not even half full. My entire row, not just my side of the row, was empty except for me. I am thinking of working myself into a complex about no roommate, no one next to me on planes...you know, just a general, all encompassing complex. Paulina was at the airport in Austin when I got out of that baggage claim, and we stopped at her house to pick up the girls. Everyone is settled in, I emptied the suitcases, and will finish putting stuff in its' proper place tomorrow. I did make a stop at the bank this afternoon, and a stop at HEB, so I am pretty set. I have had a couple texts from Lisa and Hanna, they are, as last reported, stuck in Ushuaia. They were to take a bus to Chile to pick up a camper van, and the bus keeps delaying the departure. It will all work out, and they will be having more adventures in their travels. As for me, I am getting ready to publish this entry, and then I will retire to the big chair with a couple girls, and that will most likely be it for tonight. Photo: I saw this guy n the airport last night, and when he was walking down the aisle of the plane, I told him I just wanted a picture of the shirt. Perfect. I edited the photo, but the photo has the biggest laugh on his face, fantastic!

Volume 17 - Day 321/44, 2025 - Monday

I am not even sure you can but a car with an automatic transmission in Argentina. I have been in a series of automobiles since I started this journey, and they were all stick shifts. Kind of reminds me of when I drove a stick shift, fun, nostalgic, but nothing I care to do again. I paid for a late checkout ($90US), and I slept late this morning. My watch said I got over eight hours of sleep, and I don't think that has happened in years. SO...I got up, had breakfast, and decided I would go in to downtown Buenos Aires, to see if I could get in to the cemetery. The first Uber I called charged my 7,000 pesos (about $5US) to tell me that the LaRecoleta I entered as my destination was not the LaRecoleta I wanted to go to, and he did not want to take me there. The hotel got me a cab, and all was good. I did not find Evita's tomb, I did not want to linger too long, because I did not want to do something stupid which would cause me to miss my flight. It is interesting walking around in the cemetery, many tombs are very pristine and beautiful, and many others are in a great state of disrepair. Those were the ones I wanted to look inside, where you can see the coffins and read about the inhabitants. Lots of baby sized coffins, and a very interesting place to visit. I overheard one of the tour guides say that the families of the dead have to pay a fee to the cemetery every 100 years, which might account for some of the maintenance issues. It is a beautiful day here, t-shirt weather, beautifully bright sunshine, and right now about 77 degrees. Traffic doesn't seem terrible here, there is just a lot of it, and it gets backed up. After the cemetery, I walked around for a while, then got an Uber back to the hotel. I plan to have a leisurely afternoon, and leave for the airport at 6PM. Okay, so that was not terrible. I was in the hotel vsn at 6PM, I got to the gate for United at about 7:15. Lines, there are a lot of lines here. Whatever. I made it through all the check points, and discovered that I had left my good luck charm in the basket that goes through TSA. I never expected to see it again, but they had it, and now I have it back. It was a crusher for a few minutes, though. Okay, this is it for today, I will post a comment when I get on the plane. I get to Houston at 5:30AM tomorrow, have to retrieve my two checked bags, go through customs, and then RE-check them for the Houston to Austin flight. It will all work out in the end. Just an FYI...every now and then, my sea-legs hit, and it feels like I am still on the ship. Just so you know...

Volume 17 - Day 320/45, 2025 - Sunday

Today was a REALLY busy day, but I am finally checked in to the hotel, and I just finished my dinner. SO...we got in to Ushuaia this morning, but the winds were very high, so it took us a little while for permission to enter the port. I did not sleep really well overnight, so I was up really early, and luggage was to be outside our cabins not later than 6AM. Breakfast was at 6:30, and we started disembarking about 8:15. I snuck out a little early, and stored my luggage (compliments of Quark), and took off to return the items I had rented for the trip. St. Martin is the main tourist street in Ushuaia, and I knew where I was headed this time. I got the stuff returned, just wandered around a bit, and I saw Lisa and Hanna having coffee. I told them I was going to walk up the street for a bit, and I would come back and join them. I could not find them when I went back, but I bet they are having fun in their B&B now before they head to Chile. I did not want to take any chances, so I Ubered (when did Uber become a verb?) to the airport, got checked in, checked two bags, and then waited. Antonio and Marcella arrived, and we hung out. When we got to Buenos Aires, they had about three hours to get to the OTHER airport in BA, get checked in, and head home to Paris. I thought I was at the right airport and called to courtesy van. After about an hour on WhatsApp, I determined the hotel is at the OTHER hotel, and Ubered there. Crazy. I am tired, I paid for a late check-out (6PM), so I am planning to sleep late, and maybe do nothing. I'll probably find something to do, maybe go back downtown and visit the cemetary. Maybe...

Volume 17 - Day 319/46, 2025 - Saturday

Today has really been a bittersweet day. It is interesting that I think I made at least four friends that I could consider really good friends. Lisa, Hanna, Antonio and Marcella.Lisa and Hanna will continue their journey that they started in October. Lisa will return home to Munich about December 18th, and Hanna will make it back to Munich sometime in April. My April trip to Italy will actually end in Berlin, but maybe I can see about getting a train to Munich and spend a night or two with them. I also believe I have made good friends with Antonio and Marcella, and they are now living in Paris. Marcella is from Montreal and Antonio is from Italy. Really good people, and I am just inappropriate enough to keep them all laughing. I am very proud of myself for making friends with these folks, and for even having made the acquaintances of several more. Most of them are terribly out of my league, and much more cosmopolitan than I could ever think about being, but it has been a lovely nine days.I learned a lot about the animals that service in the extreme conditions of Antarctica. They too have their ups and downs, but is is wonderful to think that even a little bit of help can make a big difference. I am also very proud of the fact that I know a boat load of people who have been to Antarctica, but they get it. Maybe I'll go back again, and maybe the next time I will camp out and do some kyaking. Who knows? I met some other folks; Mickal from Poland, James (like Bond) from Vietnam and currently living in Mebourne, a beautiful young lady named My (phonetically pronounced ME). My lies in Vietnam. William is a 22 year od Chinese man, and he is a fine young man. All the people I met are fine people, and I am happy to have made their acquaintance. I expect to talk more about this Expedition to Antarctica for at east the next couple of weeks,  so get prepared! Photo left to right: Ryan from Canada, Lisa from Germany, me, and Hanna, from Germany. Lisa and Hanna are sisters, and they are a bunch of fun.

Volume 17 - Day 318/47, 2025 - Friday

I figured out a way to send photos to myself, which makes me feel pretty okay. We headed north yesterday, today and tomorrow will be full days at sea. This morning at breakfast, there were 'hundreds' of whales off the starboard side of the ship. Of course, I got no photos at all, but there will be photos and videos included when Quark emails us the recap of this trip. From what I have seen so far, it was extraordinary. I have seen lots of whales, but not that many in the same place. We are heading north, they were heading south, to spend their summer in the Antarctic waters. Do you remember the child's song about Yankee Doodle? The guy that stuck a feather in his hat and called it 'Macaroni?' Well, it turns out, the song was not about noodles. Macaroni was a reference to 'fancy hats,' and there is a Macaroni penguin that has beautiful, very colorful feathers on its head. Who knew? More stuff: Penguins (and whales) are 'counter shaded.' Black on their backs and white on their stomachs. So, when these animals are in the water, the black on their backs blends with the dark water, and from below the water, the white on their stomachs blends with the brightness of the light from below water. One more thing...In the winter, the sea ice doubles the size of the Antarctic continent. That a lot of ice. We are being followed by lots of birds on the way north, and I hope you enjoy the photo included with this entry. 

Volume 17 - Day 317/48, 2025 - Thursday

There is no reason to try and pull the wool over your eyes, this journal entry says Thursday, but I am writing it on Friday, because the WiFi on the ship last night was not working. So here is the Thursday entry. It was extra cold this morning, and we headed out on the Zodiacs and landed at Portal Point on the continent of Antarctica, as opposed to our previous landings and various Antarctic peninsulas. I decided NOT to climb up snow and ice covered hills today, but I did have my picture taken with the flag of Antarctica. After lunch and a quick briefing, we sailed to Cierva Cove, where the water was much more calm (we were in a cove). The land there is protected, so we could not land, but we toured around in the Zodiacs for 90 minutes. Penguins, seals, whales. The sun came out, and I learned a new word; Apricity. It means 'the warmth of the sun in winter,' which was fitting for the afternoon. Once back on the ship, we had a toast to mark the end of our visit to Antarctica, and a group photo. We are heading back north now, and we will land back in Ushuaia on Sunday morning. Two sea days, A few interesting facts about Antarctica and one interesting fact about penguins: If all the ice in Antarctica melted in one day, it would raise the sea levels by 58 feet. Ninety percent of the earths fresh water is frozen in Antarctica. When penguins are resting on their stomachs, they are probably sleeping, but only four seconds at a time. It's called micro-sleeping, and they sleep about eleven hours a day...four seconds at a time,

Volume 17 - Day 316/49, 2025 - Wednesday

Insert (Yet Another) Photo here - I am kind of sad that I cannot add photos to this journal while I am traveling in Antarctica. There is so much beauty here, coupled with such quiet and isolation. I have taken plenty of photos, and will be happy to share them. I think when I return home, I will add three photos a day to this journal, kind of a 'throwback' to the time I have been traveling, along with the daily current updates. It seems only fair. Today was another busy day, and tomorrow will be our last day of seeing new things. We will head north on Friday, and once again traverse the Drake Passage. Our first landing today was at Port Lockroy, one of the first buildings (I think) in Antarctica. There is a Post Office and museum there, and lots of penguins. Then it was back to the ship for a presentation by one of the seven people living at this station, and the building is a Antarctic Treaty Historic Site, Number 61, and British Base A. Lots of interesting stuff. In the afternoon, we were off to a landing at Damoy Point, There are a British refuge hut there, alone with an Argentenian hut. I took another hike to the top of a point, and I did my best to pay attention to the beauty along with the still and the quiet. Incredible. Then it was back to the ship, and many people did the 'polar plunge.' I thought better of it myself, and did not participate. I think that was the smart thing to do. It is time to call an end to this day, I will share more with you tomorrow.

Volume 17 - Day 315/50, 2025 - Tuesday

Insert Another Photo Here - How can a place be so beautiful and magnificent, be so inhospitable at the same time. People have lived in Antarctica before, but not for long time, unless they were doing some kind of research or another. Today started with a cruise through the LeMaire Channel. After that, it began to snow, really snow, and soon there were 40 knot winds and zero visibility. Everything (except breakfast) was put on hold for a couple hours. We did not land on Pleneau Island, but we did a zodiac cruise around the area. While cruising around that area, we saw the iceberg graveyard, where the water is so shallow, they get stuck and stay there until they finally melt away. After lunch, we did land on Peterman Island, where there is an Argentine refuge station (in case you find yourself with no way to get where you thought you were going), and a cross erected in memory of three British scientists that decided to ski across the frozen ice and were never seen again. In other news, since I cut my hair, I no longer think I am looking like my grandmother (my father's mother). However, while looking in a mirror today, I was surprised to see Captain Kangaroo looking back at me. That will never do!

Volume 17 - Day 314/51, 2025 - Monday

INSERT PHOTO HERE!  Well, sorry, I have plenty of photos that I could share, but technologically speaking, it's just not going to happen. Get ready for a bit of a lesson on Antarctica, and more to come in the next several days. We had two landings today. First was on Cuverville Island, discovered during an exploration between 1897 and 1899, and named for a Vice Admiral in the French Navy. In 2022, someone counted that there were 4,461 nests on the island. When we landed, I did a good walk, and zig-zagged up a 200 meter path, just because it was there. Let me say that, walking on compacted snow is much less treacherous if you are on a flat surface. Walking poles help, but going up and down the compacted snow was very slippery. Then back to the ship. After lunch, there was a briefing for the people (40) that were signed up for camping tomorrow night. After the briefing (and the first landing), I decided that camping outside in Antarctica was not for me. So I cancelled. After that briefing, we took off again in zodiacs at Danco Island, home to 1,600 breeding pairs of penguins. More walk, more climbing. At both landings today, we did zodiac tours, and after the Danco landing, during our zodiac tour, we saw whales and a couple seals. An amazing place, and we still have several days to go with more landings, before we turn around and head back to Ushuaia. Tomorrow we will be at our southern most spot, and then we will have back north. 

Volume 17 - Day 313/52, 2025 - Sunday

Sorry I can't share the penguin photo with you, but again, I am not in charge of cell service or WIFI here in the middle of nowhere close! I am not complaining, I just wish I could share the photo I have of thousands of penguins I took from the ship this afternoon. The photo I am sharing with you, is of (I think) our sighting of the Shetland Islands. Later in the afternoon, we came to Deception Island, a horseshoe shaped island because what had been the volcano collapsed turning into a caldera that is 450 feet deep. SO, we cruised through a very small gap into the caldera, and that is where we could see penguins, research facilities (some still active, some deserted), a sunken ship that did not make it past the rocks (I did not see that), and mountain ranges covered in snow. Speaking of snow, it snowed most of the day, and someone made a snow woman on the seventh level. Tomorrow will be our first zodiac adventures, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. We are scheduled to land at Cuverville Island and at Danco Island. But, you never know with the weather. Tomorrow afternoon, I will also get me briefing about camping one night, sleeping in a snow hole. I am really looking forward to that.

Volume 17 - Day 312/53, 2025 - Saturday

This was a full day at sea, and there were three lectures I attended, a recap of the day, and I just got back from a review of maritime superstitions. I have WIFI somewhat figured out, but not really. I have forwarded a few photos to my email from my phone, and only one of them has actually been received in my email, but it is better than nothing. Last night was not as bad as they had forecast, and we were informed today that the seas overnight should have been the worst of it. I think we are about halfway through the Drake Passage, and we may start to see some coastlines tomorrow. The lectures were interesting and informative; the Albatross, Antarctic Explorers, Part 1, and Wildlife and Ecology on and around Antarctica. Interestingly, a few early explorers SAW Antarctica, but they thought it was just ice. Later on, it was thought 'well, maybe there is land under all that ice.' I guess I will find out more during Part 2. Many of the passengers were not well today, so some of the things that were to be done today, are now scheduled for tomorrow. I don't want to brag or anything, and I especially don't want to jinx anything, but I have been on far worse cruises (weather wise and sea wise), but I have never been seasick. Okay, I will hopefully have more news tomorrow, and be able to share a better photo.

Volume 17 - Day 311/54, 2025 - Friday

Okay, so you all know that today is really Saturday, but it has taken me this long to figure out how to get the WIFI working on my laptop. The good news is, I think I have it figured out, so we are back to the status quo. Friday: We had to have our luggage down in the lobby by 9AM, so that was not a problem. I had mine down by 7:30, had breakfast, checked out of the hotel, and got on a bus to go to the Parque Nacional Tierra Del Fuego. It is a HUGE park, and we made three or four stops there, during the five hour tour. We got back to Ushuaia about 1:30, and we had to meet at 3:30 to be taken to the ship. We had lunch at as well known seafood restaurant, then went shopping for snacks (I bought nothing) and then made a stop at a coffee shop (I had none), then we met up to be transported to the ship. We departed at about 6PM, and we were warned that they were predicting 'gale to strong gale winds,' expected to begin around midnight. Hmmm. We shall see.

Volume 17 - Day 310/55, 2025 - Thursday

Today has been an interesting day. I was up at 3AM, in a ride to the airport at 4:45. Got to the airport at about 5:15, and hte chaos was chaotic! I got to the gate at about 6:30 (I really don't remember), but it was a while. The flight to Ushuaia was about 3 hours, and then we had the afternoon to ourselves. I did some walking around, some this-and-that. At about 4 o'clock this afternoon there was a knock on my hotel room door, I thought it was room service. Nope! I opened the door and there was 'roommate,' that I did not know about. Very nice man, James (like Bond) who grew up in Vietnam, and now lives in Australia. So, we both assumed we would be roommates on the ship, but NO...and no one can tell me who my roommate on the ship will be. Whatever... Anyway, James and I and his friend Mi had dinner, and now we are in the room (not Mi), trying to get everything coordinated for tomorrow. We are going on a tour of National Parks in Ushuaia, then meet to get on the boat at 3:40. Bags have to be in the lobby by 9AM. So many rules!

Volume 17 - Day 309/56, 2025 - Wednesday

As is usual, I got a room in the hotel with the BEST view possible. I actually think it is okay, If I look to the right, there is a view of the coolest (and HUGE) cemetery. I am not sure which view I would prefer. SO, I did not sleep a wink last night on the plane from Houston to Buenos Aires, even though my watch tracking system says I slept for an hour and 22 minutes. We landed, I went through customs, got my checked bag, and I found my tour guide for the day. It took over an hour to get from the airport to the hotel, where I checked in and checked my bags. Then, it was back in the car for a FIVE HOUR TOUR of the city. It is a fascinating place, lots of history, lots of stuff about Evita and the Tango, Spaniards, economic development, and history of Argentina. A beautiful city, and a city of very proud people. I got back to the hotel about 2:30, and tried to nap a little bit, but that didn't work. I went to dinner about 7PM, and that is really early in Buenos Aires. Usually, dinner is from around 10PM until midnight. I hope to be asleep. I am ready to crawl into bed, it is 8:30 here (there is a 3 hour time difference), and I have to be up at 3AM to get a transport to the airport at 5AM. Hopefully, things will slow down a little bit in the next few days, especially when I get on the boat and head through the Drake Passage and get to Antarctica!

Volume 17 - Day 308/57, 2025 - Tuesday

NO PHOTO!

Right now it is about 3:45PM and I have about 3 hours until my next flight. I had expected to make this trip with nothing but a carry-on and a backpack, but that did not happen. So, I have one checked bag, the carry-on and the backpack. I did a half-walk this morning with Richard and Paul, and I did not make the ROMEO breakfast. Richard is in charge of giving the pups their treats on the walks, and it was interesting because they were looking at me for treats. I finished packing what I thought I needed, and Paulina picked me up at the Curious House and took me to the airport. I texted Terry to see if he was working, and he came and visited with me for a little while. It was nice to see him, it has been about six weeks since we visited. So far, everything is going according to schedule. With any luck, I will have WIFI on the plane, and will finish this entry then. 9:00PM. The  ($16.99 for the entire flight) is not the greatest, so I doubt there will a photo with this entry. Right now we are about a thousand miles in to the trip, with about four thousand more to go. I think we are somewhere over Guatemala, or maybe not. Just finished dinner, and I am sitting next to a man (Darrell) from Memphis, who is also going to Antarctica (not on the same tour) and this is his fourth visit to Antarctica. Very interesting. SO...just know that, so far, all is well. We should be landing in Buenos Aires in about seven more hours, about 7AM their time. 4AM Georgetown time. More later (tomorrow) and there should be a picture or two.

Volume 17 - Day 307/58, 2025 - Monday

I was really kind of busy today...I didn't walk, but I was at Paulina's house with the girls at 7:45. Took the girls because Paulina and Val are keeping them while I am gone, and Paulina had an early morning appointment that I took her to. They will be back at the house tomorrow, they are going to stay here while I am gone. I have most of the packing done, trying to use only half of my carry-on bag (so I will have room for souvenirs), and a back pack. I think I can do it...it is looking okay so far. I have a load of clothes in the washer now, and after those things dry, I will be close to done. Not sure if I will walk tomorrow, but I am going to try. The rest of the night will mainly be spent chilling out. I think it is time to take a rest. I will let you know how it all worked out tomorrow. BUT...you never know what you will see at our local neighborhood store. This...the picture is worth a few words anyway, and the bottle is $65!

Volume 17 - Day 306/59, 2025 - Sunday

I did a full walk this morning, my back is a little bit better, but now my big toe on my left foot is aching. I assume I am just turning in to a puddle of mush, but, I am leaving on my trip in two days, so I am pretty sure I will survive until Tuesday afternoon. I still have a few things to do; laundry tomorrow, go to the bank tomorrow,  pack Tuesday morning, make some phone calls tomorrow, do more stuff tomorrow and Tuesday. It will all work out. This morning, I went and picked up Val and Paulina and Oliver. Paulina had an appointment to get another piercing in her ear, and then we went to lunch at Garbo's. I have been recommending it to them for a while, and they really enjoyed it. We all had fish and chips, except Val who had a lobster grilled cheese sandwich. Everyone was happy. On my way home, I stopped at Walmart (something I never do) and bought two pairs of stretchy pants. Same size I wear, but stretchy Wranglers. I will be much more comfortable on the trip with the stretchy relaxed fit pants than with the pants I already have (Levi's). I did go over the itinerary to make sure I had all the right flight records and hotel reservations and all that stuff. I am pretty secure that I have checked all the boxes. But I still have two days. My refrigerator is really sad, I have been trying not to buy groceries since I am leaving for a couple weeks, and I think I have done a good job with that. There are still a few things for Val and Paulina, but not much!

Volume 17 - Day 305/60, 2025 - Saturday

It was not quite as cool this morning for our (me, Paul, James and Dick) walk this morning. Interestingly, we could see lightning off in the distance, but nothing really close to us, and no rain. When we finished the walk, I did a few busy-work things around the Curious House, and then I was off (at 9 o'clock) to pick up Paulina, and we headed in to Austin to donate platelets. We made a quick stop at Upper Crust, I got cinnamon rolls for Gina, Billy, Kyung and James. Nothing for me, I'm trying to lose some weight. I'm not sure what Paulina got, but she had more bags than I did. We both had a issues with our machines, but we both finished up okay, and I donated plasma and a double draw of platelets. Interestingly, we both change our eating habits a little bit, to make sure our iron counts are good...it is very disappointing to us both if we get rejected for donating because of our iron counts. It has happened to us both once. After donating, Paulina went with me for just a quick errand, and then we headed back north. After I dropped her off, I got the little white car inspected, so I can process the car tag renewal before I leave on Tuesday. Once I got home, I fixed myself the Factor dinner that Billy and Gina gave me last night; Turkey and dressing. Very good. It has dribbled and rained off and on all day since about 9 o'clock this morning, if there is anything in the gauge, it won't be much, but it has kept the ground wet. I am going back over to Val and Paulina and Oliver's tomorrow morning, and we are all going to the Domain, and then to lunch. I think. I'm pretty sure. The sign says 'Your donation does not go far, but it goes a long way.'

Volume 17 - Day 304/61, 2025 - Friday

Okay, Happy Halloween everybody. I sat out on the driveway from 5:30 until 7:15 and there were three kids that stopped at the Curious House. The FedEx guys got some candy, too, but I think there were ten or twelve kids last year. I just looked out the front window, there is NOTHING going on...so Halloween is just not as popular here as it was when I was growing up. Yes, I know, everything was different six decades ago. Whatever. Dick and I did another half-walk this morning, and I did a few things after that. Marian and I hit four estate sales, they were unremarkable, I spent $16. I took it easy for the rest of the day, and I did run a couple errands this afternoon. I am pretty sure I have everything under control to leave on my trip next week, not really concerned about any of it. Tomorrow, I will pick up Paulina in the morning, and we are going in to Austin to donate platelets. It is the first of the month tomorrow, so we are both eligible to donate. I won't donate again until about the 20th. Then it will time for me to worry about Thanksgiving dinner. Val, Paulina and Oliver are going to be here, and it will be fun. Maybe a movie or something after dinner, it is still early. And it seems like trick-or-treaters are getting more mature looking every year!

Volume 17 - Day 303/62, 2025 - Thursday

It was in the 40s when I got up this morning, Dick and I did a short walk, I am not wanting to push the envelope with my back right now. I found out something absolutely terrible today; if you hurt your back, you should NOT use a heating pad on it, you should use an ice pack. Who ever heard of such a thing? Well, I have, now, and I don't like it! After walking, I had a few chores to do; I went to HEB twice, got my hair cut, and had a chiropractor appointment. More bad news; HEB is no longer selling Thanksgiving turkey dinners, so tomorrow, I will order my dinner from Costco. AND...you have to order the dinner on-line. After that, there were naps and this-and-that, and then a bunch of us from the Curious House neighborhood went in to Austin and attended a show at the ConcertDome. It was a Halloween theme, Dome of the Dead. It was my second time at the Dome, and I enjoyed it both times. It is good (IMHO) to kind of promote local musicians and local artists. The Dome is similar to the Sphere in Las Vegas, but smaller in stature, but not less professionally done. I think this should be a quarterly thing for me. They have one more night at this location, and then they will more to a new location, and they will open again on November 21st. If I'm not there on that night, maybe I will be there on Thanksgiving Eve, we will see. But it was fun, and a TREPAC event at the same time.

Volume 17 - Day 302/63, 2025 - Wednesday

So, I was up in the middle of the night, buying a heating pad from Amazon. I was at Walgreen's at 7 o'clock this morning when they opened, buying a heating pad. When I got home, I cancelled the heating pad from Amazon. Too late, it was already out for delivery. SO...at some point, when I find the heating pad that I already own and is in the Curious House, somewhere, I will have three heating pads. I told Jimmie I may go in to the wholesale heating pad business eventually. I can return the heating pad from Amazon, so that will leave me with only two. I have been sitting in the big chair with the girls most of the day, with the heating pad on my back, and I think I am better today than I was yesterday. I will try to keep it on my back overnight, just to see if I can actually do it. So...that covers most of my day. Tonight was book club night, and since it was October, we read Dracula. We are skipping November (it's a busy month), so we will do December, and the book for December is Demon Copperhead. You may have heard of it, it is a retelling of David Copperfield, set in Appalachia. The book also won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2023. It's a LONG book, 21 hours on Audible. I think it will be a great 'listen!' Tomorrow will be a busier day, and I am getting things done for leaving on Tuesday. It's going to be a great trip, but there are still some things to get done before I leave...

Volume 17 - Day 301/64, 2025 - Tuesday

Ugh. I bent over this morning to pick up the girls bowls and threw out my back. It has happened in stranger ways that that, but I can't believe it. If it is not better by Friday, I will call the chiropractor. Can a chiropractor help with a bad back? Whatever. It was a big day for phone calls today. I spoke with ADT about when a light was flashing on both the key pads, I spoke with the newspaper people about why they said I owe them money, and I spoke with my insurance agent about plans going forward with Medicare (Part Whatever). ADT fixed something on their end, so the lights have quit flashing. The newspaper people credited my account, and the insurance agent basically just confused me. I think I settled on keeping everything the same, and expecting a rate increase of about 18% next year. At least that is what I think happened. My neighbor Gina sent me (via Billy) a great big delicious salad for dinner. I still have enough for at least one more dinner, maybe two. Okay, one. We had a cold front come through today, dry and cool. Right now it is 68 degrees outside, and I have windows open. I love having windows open. I only have about 10 more items on my list to get done before my trip, and they are pretty easy things to get done. So far, I am just piling stuff up on the bed on one of the guest rooms...it is working for me, it just doesn't look very pretty. 

Volume 17 - Day 300/65, 2025 - Monday

I have placed about nine orders with Amazon in the last 24 hours, and nothing over $25. Do you know how difficult it is to find 'pee bottles' in Georgetown? Not easy, but Amazon does not even flinch when you ask for 'pee bottles,' and they have them is dozens of styles and colors. Mine should be here tomorrow. You cannot find 'high spf lip balm' just anywhere, either. But you can on Amazon. I am of the opinion that I don't even know why I bother anymore. I refuse to buy groceries from Amazon, but that may change. I am fond of fondling the bananas, so I will still be going to HEB for the near term. My friend Nancy surprised me with a great t-shirt this afternoon, it was the only thing in my mail today that I did not shred. And then, there was a spam call from a health care provider. I was on the phone with him for 4 minutes and 43 seconds. I would not confirm who he was speaking with, because I will not say 'yes' to solicitors. Whatever, I finally tired of him, and called Nancy instead, to thank her for the t-shirt. I started the day with 22 things on my chore list, and I have 8 of them crossed off. I still have a few things to do. 

Volume 17 - Day 299/66, 2025 - Sunday

Paul and I had a nice walk this morning, it was 60 degrees, and I am all over that temperature like a hobo on a ham sandwich! The girls and I had breakfast, and then a short nap, and then I started getting things in order for my trip to Antarctica. I still have a week before I leave, but I really don't want to much anything up. I rewatched the webinar that was a couple weeks ago, started getting things together that I will pack, made a list of things I need to buy, double checked the itinerary and printed my final travel documents. I am pretty sure I will be ready when I leave. I think it is going to be a lot of fun, and I expect to meet a bunch of really neat people. I did a load of laundry as well, I will do another load before I leave. Val and Paulina will be glad to know that I washed the sheets on the bed they will have...they are staying at the Curious House while I am gone, taking care of the girls. Speaking of girls, they are doing fine, I was going to stop giving them their pain pills, since I don't think they are in any pain, but I will call the vet tomorrow and check it out with him. I don't have a lot on te calendar next week, but I am pretty sure I will fill up the days. The morning glories are doing very nicely with the cooler temperatures, and I even trimmed them back some last week, now you can see that there are rose bushes and pampas grass in that back bed. Morning glories are a little bit like kudzu when it comes to creeping and taking over. But, I like it, I just need to pay attantion to it.

Volume 17 - Day 298/67, 2025 - Saturday

We did get rain overnight, but so far no more during the late morning or afternoon. There is gossip that we might have more at the Curious House later this evening, and I hope that will be the case. I emptied 1.39" of rain out of the gauge (and that was the Wordle for today as well), and I hope to record more later tonight. Judy and I went to two estate sales today, she bought a couple things, I bought nothing. To be fair, there was something I noted that I wanted when I previewed the sale, so I went on Thursday, and bought it, so I guess that counts as one thing. After the estate sale, I did not do a lot. I am about to get serious and make sure I have everything done for my trip to Antarctica. Flights, airport transfers, hotel rooms, proper clothing, stuff. I still have ten days, so I think I still have plenty of time. The girls are doing fine, I will keep giving them their pills until they run out, but they are not having any issues after their visit to the vet last week. For some reason, I am watching the beginning of a football game on tv, and they are in Michigan, and they are all wearing heavy winter coats. I am just kind of proud that I don't have the air conditioner running. Different strokes...

Volume 17 - Day 297/68, 2025 - Friday

I am going to have to move plants onto the patio and deck deck. Deck deck is the 'floor' of the deck. I will also need to move a few things down on the front patio, just to be careful. We are expecting some wind in addition to the rain, so that is just what I do. I did a good walk with Paul this morning, and I am done trying to do ten thousand steps a day. I was watching a program earlier this week, and the doctor that was being interviewed said that, anything over seven thousand steps (two or three times a week) does not necessarily gain you anything. He said that walking 7,000 steps gives significant positive benefits including a lower risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, dementia and diabetes...it can also improve your mood, energy levels, sleep and bone and muscle strength. That bold and italicized part was taken straight from the Googles. Complain to them, not to me. As I write this, I have already done over 9,400 steps today, but I am no longer going to stress to get more than 7,000 steps. My morning walk is about 6,600 steps, so that is not too shabby. The girls are doing fine, all is good with them. I was so worried about making sure they got their pills yesterday, I forgot to take mine last night. Whatever. I will let you know if we really get any rain overnight.

Volume 17 - Day 296/69, 2025 - Thursday

The local weather prognosticators are practically guaranteeing that we will have rain late tomorrow evening and into the morning on Saturday, ending about 7 or 8 o'clock Saturday morning. I am going to turn the sprinklers off, which I expect will jinx any rain that was expected at the Curious House, and that is but one of my many talents! It was a good walk this morning, but it was warmer than I would like, and really humid. I am making a little bit of progress getting ready for my trip...ten days from now, but I still have ten days, so I can cover a lot of territory in ten days. The girls are doing just fine, I am giving them their pills right on schedule. They have one more pill for today, at 10 o'clock. I am pretty sure I will still be coherent at 10 o'clock, but you never can tell. Tonight was our Neighbors Dinner, and we went to the Walburg Restaurant...October Fest and all... There was a private party going on in the back, and my friend Avis was there. So...for about three minutes, we got to see each other and I got a good hug out of the deal. I miss seeing her A LOT. Do you hear that, Avis? 

Volume 17 - Day 295/70, 2025 - Wednesday

Oh, Lort! I got the girls to the vet this morning right on time, and I went and picked them up at 3:30. They are not happy, I am frustrated, it's all a mess. They are wearing cones, they are still kind of groggy, Lexie is less groggy than Callie. They have three different prescriptions to take, some twice a day, some three times a day, some for seven days, some for ten days. I had to make myself a chart just to try and keep it all coordinated. They got half of their normal amount of food tonight, and they both ate, there were no problems with that, and I think that is a good sign. I am just a little bit stressed, trying to make sure I do all the stuff that needs to be done. Don't forget, I am retired, so I am not supposed to have responsibilities. Other than getting the girls to and from, I did very little of anything else, and I have no plans to be doing anything else for the rest of the night. Tomorrow I have an afternoon appointment, and the neighborhood dinner is tomorrow night, and that is always fun. That is it for this entry...

Volume 17 - Day 294/71, 2025 - Tuesday

I forgot to tell you all yesterday about the man with the scuzzy penis. When I was called in to the little curtained room to have the blood draw, there was an elderly man that walked in after me. The curtains really do not give any impression of privacy, that's how I know he was an elderly man. I'm not sure how much more elderly than me he could have been, but I think he was either older or in really poor shape. Whatever. Less than four feet away from me, just beyond the curtain, the medical person was giving him instructions about how to provide the urine sample. We were listening intently (me and the phlebotomist) to the directions about how to take the sanitary wipe and clean his penis. That is when we discovered that he was not only 'old' but he was apparently hard of hearing, too. Raising her voice, she once again gave the directions about how to rub the wipe over his penis before he urinated in the cup. I am not sure how it turned out, but he was in the restroom when I walked out. Pretty entertaining to say the least. It was warmer this morning, but supposed to cool off again overnight. It was a good walk this morning, Jimmie joined us, but the weather will be better tomorrow. Jimmie and Rick and I also met up for the ROMEO breakfast, and I actually saw a friend of mine (named Romeo) having breakfast with some of his family from out of town. Tomorrow morning, there will be no walk for me, the girls have to be at the vet at 7:30, and I hope to pick them up in the late afternoon, giving them time to get over the anesthesia. Time will tell... 

Volume 17 - Day 293/72, 2025 - Monday

I was about 60 degrees when I got up this morning, perfect weather for a full walk. Still paying attention to my knee, but it is getting better. I had a doctors appointment this morning, and we settled that he has been my primary physician for 25 years. Then he told me he is retiring, officially as of January 19th, but he will stop seeing patients before that. So, I am developing a plan of action in my little pea-brain. I am going to check with Julie about Concierge Medical stuff, and see if I can find a good fit. Whoever I find to be my new Internist, he will have a few qualifying questions before I make them leap. All this crap, UGH! Early voting started today, so I went and voted...there certainly was not a line, and there are 17 Propositions on the ballot. I was prepared, so I just had to go down the list and mark the yes or no bubble. I have nothing on the calendar for tomorrow, and on Wednesday, I have to take the girls to the vet by 7:30 for their dental work. I still have not heard from the guys retrofitting my running boards, so maybe I will hear from them soon.

Volume 17 - Day 292/73, 2025 - Sunday

Today was another half-walk day, but my knee is feeling better, so I hope to do a whole walk tomorrow. The low temperature overnight was in the 60s, which was very nice, and I am glad I left the windows open. The moon (a waning crescent) and Venus were also in attendance, and they were both pretty close together. I did get a bunch more piddly things done around the Curious House this morning, after a nice nap. Val and Paulina came over around noon, and we headed to Walburg for linch at the Walburg German Restaurant. Very good. After that, we drove past the farm, then in to Bartlett, and then back to Georgetown. Sight seeing is always good, and there was some conversation about our trip to Italy in April. It is going to be fun, and the most fun part is, I am not involved in any of the planning. Just point to where I am supposed to be and I will be there. So...since I had a big lunch, there was not much of any dinner for me, which is fine since I'm not hungry. The problem is, I will be hungry in about an hour, and it will all be junk food for the rest of the night. I have an appointment with my primary tomorrow, nothing too exciting about that, and hopefully I will get the running boards for the Buzz back sometime this week.

Volume 17 - Day 291/74, 2025 - Saturday

I only did a half-walk this morning, my knee was bothering me from the steroid shot yesterday, but as I write this, it is feeling much better. I took off for estate sales with Marian, Diane and Judy M; there were three estate sales, none of them we really very exciting, but I did find about $20 worth of stuff that I could not live without. Okay, $22.20 and I could have lived the rest of my life very comfortably without the two things I bought. After estate sales, Paulina and I went to Art From the Streets. This was the second time I went to this event, and it is a sale of artwork produced by unhoused/unsheltered persons. And, this is the second time I bought nothing except for a t-shirt. The last time I went it was with Deb Seaton, and she and Jay moved to Vancouver two or three years ago. The photo accompanying this journal entry is one of the pieces I was interested in, but I could not justify it. So I didn't. On the way home, we stopped at We Are Blood to get t-shirts from Marian and Ronnie. They give whole blood, and they could not give in October, so they did not get a t-shirt. I whined and plead my case, and they gave me the t-shirts just to get me out of the place. Marian was happy to get them, too! The newspaper (yes, I still get the newspaper) said we have gone 40 days with no rain, and there is really no rain in sight, BUT the low overnight temperature is supposed to be 62 degrees, so I will open the windows before I crash for the night. I like it! Val and Paulina are coming over tomorrow and we will go to the Walburg German Restaurant for lunch. Our neighborhood dinner is Thursday, so I will take that opportunity to give them the latest count. I'd rather do that in person than via a telephone call, and they are closed on Monday and Tuesday. I'm not sure what else is on the schedule for tomorrow, but I expect I will stay busy.