Volume 17 - Day 31/334, 2025 - Friday

We DID walk this morning, and it was fun, a bit chilly, but fun. Paul and I really DON'T want to walk, but we do it, and (at least I) am always glad after we do it. I left for the office, and got a few things done, and tomorrow I will be going back in and start rearranging the furniture in a move to get it ready for being leased. Still, the goal is April 1st, and I am pretty sure we will make it. Here is something interesting. I received two packages today, one via UPS and one via FedEx. The UPS package was something I did not order, it is some kind of a part for a thermostat that plugs into a wall fixture. I called the company that sent it, and they have no idea why it was sent to me, but they said I could keep it if I wanted. DUH! The second package (a smallish box) was EMPTY. But apparently, somebody, somewhere thinks I want to return something. Nope, not me. Interesting. There are now six estate sales tomorrow, and I may be the only person going, and maybe I won't go, either. We shall see. I am this close (squint) to booking a trip to Antarctica in November. This close! I will probably commit early next week, but it is kind of scary to think about, but I want to do it. That will leave two more continents to visit before I call it another decade. This pretty little orchid snuck up on me, I did not even know it was getting ready to bloom...I watered it on Monday (as always) and did not even notice the buds. BUT, it looks like there are several more buds, so it will be blooming for a while!

Volume 17 - Day 30/335, 2025 - Thursday

We didn't walk this morning because it was raining. It rained overnight, and quit about 9 o'clock this morning. In the last 24 hours, we have received an inch-and-a-quarter of rain, and it was slow and easy, just the kind of rain we need to soak in and make the trees and other plants happy. Rumor is that a good bit of rain fell on the lakes, which are still very low. I did not use the no-walking time very wisely, I think I just piled up in the chair and went back to sleep. I got up and headed in to Austin, and I got there at about 10 o'clock. I had a noon meeting, and that lasted until about 1:15, and I headed back to the Curious House, and got there about 2:30 or 3. I continued doing nothing until just about now, and doing this journal entry is about the most I have done today. I will be going back in to Austin tomorrow, just to see what else I can get out of the office, and after estate sales on Saturday, I am going to go back and rearrange furniture in the office to get it ready for the lease market. Lots of little details to finish, but that is okay, there is still time. I counted eleven buds on the Meyer Lemon, and that is pretty exciting. I had none last year, but the year before I got 13 lemons, and they were great! One of these days, if you remind me, I will tell you the story of the little orphaned Meyer Lemon tree that could!

Volume 17 - Day 29/336, 2025 - Wednesday

We did half a walk this morning, it was very foggy and by the time we got to the point of no return, it started raining. Not a lot, and it didn't last very long, but we decided to not chance it. We are of the opinion that it will likely be raining tomorrow when we are scheduled to walk. 80% chance at 7AM, so we will see what happens. The drive in to Austin was miserable this morning. In weather like this, I go from being an old man to a little old lady with both hands death-gripping the steering wheel. But, I made it to the office and back with no issues. I loaded up some more stuff from the office and took it to the company storage place, and brought a couple boxes of personal stuff to my storage space close to the Curious House. I have a noon meeting tomorrow in Austin, so I will likely get a few more things ready to take to storage, and share my plan for getting the office space leased. Everything seems to be falling into place, and I have no complaints about that. 

Volume 17 - Day 28/337, 2025 - Tuesday

We had a nice walk this morning, it was a little bit warmer than yesterday, but we were still bundled up. After the walk, we headed off to the ROMEO breakfast, and that, as usual, was lots of fun. It is Tuesday, so that makes it Total Stranger Tuesday! This lady was a little hesitant (this is not going to go on Facebook or anything is it?) but the other ROMEOs and the staff at the Monument Cafe vouched for me. For as long as I have been doing this, I had no idea the staff at the cafe had even paid attention to it. But, I especially liked this lady's red hat, so here you have it. I had a 10:30 telephone call appointment, and my doorbell still does not work. They are sending me a new doorbell, and I have another appointment with them next Tuesday to try and get it working. If you come to visit the Curious House, please knock. Like you mean it. I did get some stuff cleaned out of the bedroom closet that has been on my chore list for a while. Still not done, but I took six boxes (quilts, sheets and things) to the storage. Once I get stuff all at the storage place, I will (I expect) start throwing stuff away. If I haven't seen or needed anything out of those boxes since I have been living at the Curious House, I apparently don't need it, but I am very slow to throw stuff away. To be honest, I did throw away some stuff today, maybe more tomorrow. Maybe. It was another gloomy day today, tomorrow is forecast to be the same, but with rain. Maybe. I think the best chance for rain is Thursday, and then it is supposed to be nice on Friday and through the weekend. Good weather for estate sales.

Volume 17 - Day 27/338, 2025 - Monday

It was a good morning for a walk, and we (me, Richard and Paul) took full advantage of that. Still a little chilly, but that was okay. After the walk, I had a couple errands to get done before heading in to the office. I made a bank run, took a few things to the storage space, and then headed in. I started listening to a new book today, One Hundred Years of Solitude. It is (sort of) an interesting book, but I am not sure where it is going, and not sure even what it is about. I will check out the synopsis later, and maybe that will help. Fourteen hours of listening is a long time to be confused. Once in the office, I packed a few storage boxes, and dropped them off at storage on the way home. One thing I realized this afternoon; nothing is urgent anymore. Nothing HAS to be done right now, there are no deadlines anymore. True, I have to be some places on time, but that is nothing compared to urgency of doing things for clients or tenants. I think I am much less stressed than I was even less than a month ago. So, cleaning things out of the office that we have inhabited for the past 25 years, it is interesting some of the stuff I am finding, like the advertising piece I used about fifteen years ago. I always liked it, and I found several copies that I will hang on to. There may be rain in the morning, maybe not. We were supposed to have rain during the day today, but it didn't happen. BUT, the ROMEO breakfast will go on as scheduled, and that will be fun.

Volume 17 - Day 26/339, 2025 - Sunday

We didn't walk this morning, it wasn't really raining, but it was chilly and dribbly, and I (we) just did not want to take the chance. I have been walking and got caught in the rain before, and it was okay, but this morning it was just to chilly to consider it. It did not get any better, either. It has looked like that all. day. long. I did make it to brunch this morning with Alisha and Reuben, and I went to dinner this evening with Val, Paulina and Oliver. I did get a couple things on my chore list done, and I decided a couple items were not even necessary, so that is okay. I will take a few things to storage tomorrow, and then I expect I will go in to the office as well, boxing up a few things to (also) take to storage. The plants being outside are benefitting from the drizzle, and that is okay, but I personally am not doing that great with it. One of the girls is not feeling that well, but I really don't know which one it is. I just see the results!

Volume 17 - Day 25/340, 2025 - Saturday

Even though it was warmer this morning, it was still a chilly 37 degrees when we left for our walk. I am glad I did not outsmart myself by putting the plants out yesterday, and thankfully, they all made it. I think they will be able to stay outside for at least a week. The walk tomorrow may be jeopardized by rain, it is forecast to rain early in the morning, so that will stop us. We had four estate sales to hit this morning, and I am pretty sure we all bought something. Honestly, we all had more fun driving to and from the sales than we did AT the sales. We laughed and cut-up and just had a great time. And who doesn't need a little cherub to adorn someplace in the Curious House. There is a bit of controversy about whether this is just a run of the mill cherub holding grapes, or if it could be a young Bacchus. Depending on which Google you believe, Bacchus is or isn't ever depicted with wings. Bacchus is the Roman equivalent of the Greek Dionysus, who I don't know if he was depicted with wings or not. So...maybe yes, maybe no. After the sales, I took a couple naps, and that is about all I did. I have six things left on my chore list, and I may or may not get them done tomorrow. I don't really feel driven to complete any of them, but I will, eventually. Keep your fingers crossed that we get some rain!

Volume 17 - Day 24/341, 2025 - Friday

Today was kind of a busy day, but I did get a lot of things done. Of course, it started with a nice walk, me, Paul and Richard. It was below freezing, but it was not as cold as it has been. Tonight, the low temperature is forecast to be about 35, and I put the plants back outside this afternoon. I think I will cover them up with sheets, just to be safe, and then the low temperatures will be in the 40s and 50s for the near term. It should be about 70 degrees on Sunday, very nice for January in central Texas. After the walk, I took the girls to the beautiful parlor. Taking them during the week is much less stressful (for me) than taking them on a Saturday. Everything stresses the Piglet, and she does not necessarily look like she just got her hairs done, but she did. Callie in camera shy, so the Piglet gets all the press. After that, I had a meeting in Austin at 11, and after that, I went to the tax assessor to trade the dull plates for the Buzz in for better plates. All the words I had thought about were taken, so I ended up with VWCOOL. Tomorrow will start with a walk and then estate sales, and then I have a date in the garage, cleaning stuff up and trying to organize again. If I didn't like doing that so much, I might try keeping things in order as I go, but...

Volume 17 - Day 23/342, 2025 - Thursday

I almost forgot to complete this journal entry...too bad for you I remembered after I forgot. It was not record breaking cold this morning, so we had a nice walk. On the way in to the office, I needed to stop at the pharmacy and pick up the prescription that was called in yesterday, but they did not have it in stock. Then, it was in to the office for a little while, and while I was there, I had an email from my doctor, who said he had decided to change my last remaining prescription, so I went BACK to the pharmacy to get that new drug. Which means, in two days, every prescription drug I was taking (four) has been replaced with a different drug. Sometimes, I just cannot keep up. But, things could be worse. I got home and went down for a nap, and then I stirred around doing a few things in the Curious House. Richard brought me a bunch of leftover sandwiches from book club last night and some of the giant Round Rock Mardi Gras donut. I am set for at least one more day. Tomorrow, I am taking the girls to the beautiful parlor, then I have a meeting at the Austin Board. At some point, I am going to the County Tax Office. The VW dealer in Waco sent me the plates for the Buzz, but they are not correct...all I needed was the inspection sticker, because I have vanity lates that I took off the Tesla. It should not be a big problem, but almost everything else has been this week, so there is no telling what can go wrong. But, enjoy the photo of the sunrise we had this morning...

Volume 17 - Day 22/343, 2025 - Wednesday

The next time you have an hour or more to listen, I will tell you about my DAY at the doctors office today. I was there on time (actually thirty minutes early, you never know what traffic will be like), and there was power in only half of the building, and the computers were down. It was a testament to how dependent we have become to things...things like electricity and computers. Things pretty much were a slow grind, and by the time I saw the cardiologist (just by accident) and my GP, there was still no power, and I should call back later to see about having the blood work done. I tried to call, there was no answer. I stopped on the way home, let them suck some blood out, waited for the answers to a couple questions, and left. The fiasco with the new prescription drugs (discontinued three, added three new ones) is q whole new conversation. Whatever. I just think that nothing is easy to get accomplished any more. I got home about 4 o'clock, and took a little nap, and then it was time for book club. Always fun, and the book was interesting. Goyhood. It was supposed to be funnier than I found it, but at least there was no real drama. Next book is James, which I have already read, and liked it a lot. There are three or four things on my list to get accomplished tomorrow, and I will have plenty of time to get it done. 

Volume 17 - Day 21/344, 2025 - Tuesday

We didn't walk this morning, but Richard and I walked this afternoon. This morning, there was a bit of snow and ice on the sidewalks and roads, so we waited until the afternoon. We did not make it to the ROMEO breakfast either, just no reason to get out on the roads. BUT...this is still Total Stranger Tuesday, and what could possibly be stranger than bits of snow in central Texas, EVER? So, the photo accompanying this post is strange, a bit of snow on the furniture on the front patio. Strange! I got some of the results from one of the tests I had yesterday, all is good, and I have an appointment with my regular doctor tomorrow morning. That is also strange. I made an appointment for tomorrow afternoon, and then I remembered that I was supposed to be fasting, so I changed it to 8 o'clock in the morning. I have to be in the office at 10:30, so that should work out well. Tomorrow evening is our book club night, and that will be fun, Otherwise, there is not a lot to talk about, but today is our friend Bruce's birthday. We met Bruce and Melody on one of our vacations, whale watching. Then we went on a few other trips with them, and friends ever since. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRUCE!

Volume 17 - Day 20/345, 2025 - Monday

It was 21 degrees outside when I got up this morning, and by the time we finished out 'abbreviated' morning walk, it was down to 19 degrees. I putzed around the house for a while before I headed in to Austin, and there was not a lot to do. There is a LOT to do, but it was cold and I was in the little white car, so not a lot of room for schlepping stuff to the storage room. There is always Wednesday and Friday, so I am not stressing about it yet. Here is something interesting...I had a 3:30 appointment for a 'MRA Head and Ultra Sound Extra Cranial Arteries.' I thought it was weird that, with a 3:30 appointment, they wanted me to arrive at 2:15. Okay, I can do that. The appointment was at 300-B University Boulevard in Round Rock. I was driving around in the parking lot for about 15 minutes, looking for 300-B. I found 300-A, but no B. I stopped the security patrol guy driving around the parking lot, but he didn't know where it was, either. I went inside 300-A, and they pointed it out to me. They said it says 300-B on the building, and admittedly it does, but you can only see it in you walk 30 feet under the entrance canopy and it is above the door. Whatever. Then, there was the check-in. They insisted I had two appointments, and I insited I had one appointment for two procedures. Nope, just believe it when I tell you, you can't argue with Baylor, Scott & White. The good news is, they did not shoot me up with dye, and I was out (after both appointments) by 4 o'clock. I fell asleep in both the MRA tube and while they were (once again) doing the ultrasound on my carotid arteries. So, that was my day, how was yours. We are expecting snow and sleep at the Curious House overnight, and that will be fun. My big concern right now is that it will cause the ROMEO breakfast to be cancelled. If we can walk when it is 20 degrees outside, we can certainly drive if there is an inch of snow. But Monument Cafe had better be open! 

Volume 17 - Day 19/346, 2025 - Sunday

When I got up this morning, it was 26.1 degrees outside. When I got back from our walk later this morning, it was 24.8 degrees outside. Prepare yourself to see more temperature photos for the next three or four days. Tuesday is supposed to be the coldest morning of the week (I think), with the forecast morning temperature of 20 degrees. Tomorrow morning should be a tepid 22 degrees. Don't say you haven't been warned. After the walk, I met Val, Paulina and Oliver at the Original Pancake House for brunch. It was fun, and then we made plans to hit two estate sales that I had been to yesterday. I bought one thing, but the stuff I was really interested in was already gone, or maybe I just didn't remember what it was I was interested in. After those two sales, we went to two more, and none of us bought anything. But it was fun. I had another couple errands to run after that, and one errand was to go to HEB to find something sweet. Nothing. In the entire HEB Bakery department, there was NOTHING there that I thought would satisfy my sweet craving, so I bought NOTHING. Awful! SO, back to the Curious House, where the girls and I are going to hunker down, stay warm, and enjoy this cold evening. I am a VERY LUCKY MAN!

Volume 17 - Day 18/347, 2025 - Saturday

Four of us (me, Marian, Marge and Diane) went to SIX estate sales this morning. It was exhausting. I spent $3.25 on the discus thrower accompanying this journal entry. That works out to about $0.65 per inch, to give you an idea of how big he is. Height wise! Y'all have such a dirty mind. I may make a return visit to two of the estate sales tomorrow, when everything will be half-price. Maybe. There were four of us walking this morning, me, Paul, Richard and James. It was good weather, mid-40s, and light winds. It is going to get cold overnight, tomorrow morning will be about 25 degrees, and that will be the coldest walk of the year. Twenty degrees or less and we aren't walking. I brought plants in from the front and the back, so I am mostly ready for the cold temperatures. The plants will be inside until Friday, the way the forecasts are looking right now. That is a long time of cold weather for us in central Texas. I also went to HEB this afternoon, gassed up the white car, got another package of cookies and a rotisserie chicken, a loaf of bread and some milk. There was still food on the shelves when I left, so I think the weather panics are somewhat under control. The crappy-ass cable and internet company (no competition here) has restored NBS and the other channels that they had a contract dispute with a week ago, so I am NOT going to streaming tomorrow, as previously planned. I doubt that there is enough Prevagen in the world that could help me remember new stuff about streaming. Not really, but I will just continue with the cable...whatever. Tomorrow I am meeting Paulina and Val and Oliver for breakfast, and not sure what I will be doing after that.

Volume 17 - Day 17/347, 2025 - Friday

I did a half-walk this morning, because I had to be in the office at 10 o'clock, AND...there were a couple other stops and a couple office chores I needed to get done before the meeting (zoom). So, I left the Curious House at about 8:15 and got to the office at 9:15, and everything worked out just fine. I left the office about 11:30 and stopped at my storage place in Georgetown to drop off a few things from the office. I think if I play it right, I can have most of my personal stuff out of the office by the end of next week, and we can get that puppy on the lease market soon after that. Pretty soon, there will be no bread or milk left at HEB, we will have five days next week of 'hard' freezes overnight, but it will be above freezing for high temperatures. Just barely on one day. The chances of freezing precipitation (whatever that is) are getting higher, so everyone (that means me) is starting to freak out. I really had a great time during the last snowpocalypse (February of 2021, I had been living in the Curious House for 45 days. It should be better this time (if the power grid fails like the last time), because I installed solar since then. We shall see. The photo accompanying this entry is of the Piglet on the porch, considering whether or not she will get cold feet. She did! Tomorrow will be six estate sales, and we shall see what we shall see!

Volume 17 - Day 16/349, 2025 - Thursday

Okay, I'll get right to the good stuff...I had a follow-up appointment with the cardiologist this afternoon, and apparently, I am healthy enough that I am boring. Nothing remarkable out outside normal ranges on any of the tests so far, no holes in the heart. She took the 'device' off my chest while I was there, and I took it back to UPS on the way home. They will read the data on that, looking for irregular rhythms, which, if they find any, could be a sign of A-Fib, which is one of the causes of strokes. Bottom line, I don't really want to do that again. I did not walk this morning because I had a 9 o'clock appointment, that was 40 miles away. I left the house about 7:15, and got there about 8:15. You just never know what traffic will be doing, and I would rather be early than late. After the appointment, I went by the office and did a few things, and then I left for the doctor appointment, which was 2 o'clock. The only errand I had to do on the way home was to take the 'device' to UPS, and I got home about 4 o'clock. Nothing much happening after I got home, but we are all freaking out that it will be down in the 20s four days next week. Get the pipes ready! Oh yeah, this is what frost murdered morning glories on the back deck look like.

Volume 17 - Day 15/350, 2024 - Wednesday

Here is just another example that I am out of touch with fiscal reality. I needed two 9volt batteries today, so I stopped at HEB on the way home. It seems like every time I am in HEB, there are end caps covered with batteries. Today, they were all in one spot, and this was the only 9volt battery I could find. $17+ for one battery. I headed for the checkout, and I told a lady to go in front of me...I think she thought I was angry about something, but I told her I was just deciding if I wanted to pay $17 a piece for two batteries. I went back to the display, and found more batteries on an end cap, and I ended up with two 9volt batteries for $8.77 plus tax. I feel like that was a win, but I still thank that is more than I was expecting. I (maybe) should have gone to Costco, but there is some value to the time that venture would have taken. But...all is good for now. Yes, we had a good walk this morning, 47 degrees, that was good. It will be cooler tomorrow, and COLD for three or four days next week. Bring it on! I went in to the office and did some stuff, and did a bit more recycling of stuff. Then I had a great lunch with Holly, then headed to Lakeway to remove a couple lock boxes. Tomorrow, I have a 9 o'clock appointment, and then I will probably go to the office before my 2:30 doctors appointment. Hopefully, I will have the 'device' removed tomorrow, but if not, I will remove it myself on Friday...that will be the end of my two weeks. UGH!

Volume 17 - Day 14/351, 2025 - Tuesday

It is Total Stranger Tuesday, and this stranger just turned four months old a couple days ago. His name is Mikey, and I did not make him cry! Of course, we had a good walk this morning, and then it was time for our ROMEO breakfast...me, Richard and Rick. While we were sitting there, a single gentleman was seated by himself at a table next to us, and I asked Richard and Rick if they would mind if I asked him to join us. During my time running hotels and restaurants, we always tried to sit single people with other guests, just so they did not eat alone. They said okay, and he first said 'no thank you,' but quickly changed his mind and joined us. We all made new friends. His name is Martin and he and his wife are from Southern California and they live in Sun City. A very interesting person, and we will see if he decides to join us again next Tuesday. Prior to breakfast, I had made a stop at Home Depot to pick up a couple things, and saw a friend of mine, Pam, who I haven't seen in at least five years, and she did not know that Jody had died. We had a nice meet-up and I will look for her again the next time I need a nail or something. After breakfast it was off to the office. I had to do one thing, it took less than five minutes, but I had to do it. I will be back in the office tomorrow, and there are still a few odds-and-ends that we are doing to close out everything from twenty four years of being property managers. So far, I like my semi-retirement, and I think it will only get better. I also put all the plants outside again, and they will be able to stay out until Saturday afternoon. Beginning Sunday, we are expecting the coldest temperatures of the season, but we are not expecting another Snowpocalypse.

Volume 17 - Day 13/352, 2025 - Monday

It's like deja vu all over again. There was a nice sunset this evening, but not as good as the one a year ago, so I am posting that photo on this entry. If you think you saw it before, you well may have. It was a good morning for a walk, me, Paul and Richard. Richard deviated from our normal routines, but that was because the spring on his garage door broke yesterday. I thought he had overslept, but he was outside waiting. After the walk, I putzed around the house for a while before heading in to the office. We are planning to have the office leased on April 1st, so we started recycling stuff today. From my days as an instructor, I have LOTS of binders with LOTS of paperwork from the various classes. The papers are being recycled, and I am not sure what I will be doing with all the binders. Anyone need a bunch of binders? Various sizes. Poor Piglet. She is going on a diet, and I am going to PetsMart tomorrow to buy some low calorie dog food. She is going to be pissed because she is not in charge of what she eats. I feel kind of bad, I could stand to lose some weight, too, but I know how to scoop ice cream into a bowl, and drizzle it with chocolate sauce. It's a full moon tonight, and I will be letting Helen know about it in a couple hours. Everybody needs to pay attention!

Volume 17 - Day 12/353, 2025 - Sunday

I am not going to bore you with the outside temperature this morning, because I don't remember what the temperature was when I got up this morning. I am pretty sure it was warmer than it was yesterday, so there is that. Richard and Paul and I had a nice walk, and when I got home, I watched about 15 minutes of Sunday Morning and then I started putzing around the house. I put all the plants back outside (I know it was 36 degrees when I did that) and the front plants were happy to enjoy some morning sunshine. I took the back plants out to the patio and deck, and they got some sun this afternoon. All the plants got a little drink of water...they did not get a lot of water because I knew I was going to have to bring them back in in the afternoon. I did a couple other things in the garage, and then I headed off to brunch with Candy and Terry. I had no other errands to run, so I got home and went down for a nap with the girls. As of now, I've had dinner and put the plants back in, and it is time to call it a day. I will be going in to Austin tomorrow, probably for just a couple hours. I have one doctors appointment this week and one next week. Hopefully, that will wind down after that. It should be a pretty good week.

Volume 17 - Day 11/354, 2025 - Saturday

This was the coldest morning for our walks this season, 28 degrees, maybe 27, but there was no wind. Me, James, Paul and Richard. We solved a lot of the worlds problems, and likely created a few that someone else can solve. My cable and internet service is $210 per month. Yesterday, Optimum (hereafter referred to as 'those people') stopped making Nextstar (NBC) available. I don't know which company is the selfish one, but I really suspect them both. I do have one tv in the kitchen that is on an antenna, so I can get NBC on that tv. I am on the verge (probably more like planning) to cancel my Optimum cable and keep the internet service, and go to streaming. Just as soon as someone (anyone) comes to the Curious House and makes all the changes for me. Apparently, streaming is what we are all going to be doing in the near future, and I guess I will be okay with that. I still want printed newspapers, though, so I think it is ironic that I am an early adopter for some things, but a luddite for other things. UGH! There were two estate sales this morning, both put on by the same company, and one was awful and the other one was pretty good. I did buy a few things at the second one, and I think everyone bought something except Marge. I think that is two weeks that Marge has not bought anything. After the estate sales, Val, Paulina and I went to brunch, and later I needed to go by the bank, and then it was nap time for me. Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer, and I think I will be able to put the plants outside for a couple days on Tuesday. At least for a couple days. Tomorrow, I am meeting Candy and Terry for brunch, and then I am not sure what the plan will be, not that I need to be making plans, and not that there is anything wrong with that.

Volume 17 - Day 10/355, 2025 - Friday

Well, here we are again on Friday night, finally the skies are clear, we got a little bit of sun beginning about 4 o'clock this afternoon. It will be really cold overnight, expected low temperature of 24 degrees, and then a warmup for several days. Overnight tonight might be the last freeze here for about five days. Maybe. It was a good morning for a walk, it did not get to freezing last night, and I think it might have been in the 40s when I got up this morning. I did go in to the office this morning, and did about a couple hours worth of stuff, and then I headed home. There were no stops on the way home, and I did a couple loads of laundry this afternoon, all clean, all dry, all put where it is supposed to be put. I had 31 t-shirts in the laundry, and I think that is a record for me. Tomorrow there are two estate sales, and I am looking forward to doing that, and then I might do something else. Not sure. Breathing. I am pretty sure I will keep breathing.

Volume 17 - Day 9/356, 2025 - Thursday

It was 38 degrees when I got up this morning, and it stayed about 38 degrees most of the day. It is 36 degrees now, and it has also been drizzling rain for a large part of the day. You know what that means, right. The girls are not too interested in getting their feet wet. But I digress. It was a pretty good morning for our walk, but I only did a half walk. I had a 9 o'clock meeting in Austin, and I left the Curious House about 8:30. I got back from the meeting about 12:30, and spent the rest of the day watching it rain. Tonight was the neighbor's dinner, and that was fun. There were 11 of us, and there was lots of good conversation and story telling. We always have a good time at our dinners. I am going in to Austin sometime tomorrow morning, just to see if there is anything that needs to be done. We are probably going to lease the office to someone, and we are giving ourselves some time to get stuff done, and make it available for an April 1st occupancy date. That should be enough time. Other than cash, I wish I could think of something I could do for the people in California that have lost everything. It just goes to confirm to me that I am a really, really lucky person.

Volume 17 - Day 8/357, 2025 - Wednesday

It was a few degrees warmer this morning (two days in a row) when Richard and Paul and I went for our walk. Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer...maybe right at freezing, maybe a little bit above. Some counties west of us may get some freezing rain beginning tomorrow morning, but here in our part of the world, just ordinary rain. Ordinary is not that ordinary here lately, we are way behind in rainfall for the last couple years, and there is a chance we could get up to two inches, and that would be a real treat. We need water in the lakes, for sure. I went in to the office for a little while this morning, and got home about 2:30. I stopped at HEB on the way home, so far, it doesn't seem like folks in this part of Texas are clearing the shelves. There was plenty of milk, eggs and bread. Tomorrow, I have a 9 o'clock meeting, then I will head home, and the neighbors dinner is tomorrow evening. It will be fun to see everyone, and I an looking forward to that. The photo accompanying this entry was taken yesterday, we have really had a great showing of clouds the last couple of days. I believe these are mammatus clouds, but if I am wrong, feel free to correct me. 

Volume 17 - Day 7/358, 2025 - Tuesday

It was 2 or 3 degrees warmer this morning than it was yesterday, and the wind was not nearly as strong, which made it a much nicer walk for Richard, Paul and me. After the walk, I met Richard and Rick for the ROMEOs breakfast, and since it is Tuesday, it was another Total Stranger Tuesday day (see photo above), and then went back to the Curious House for the rest of the day. I did not do much of anything, napped a little, cleaned and straightened a few things, and got ready to go out to the Bon Aire for dinner with Linda and Jimmie. Going to the Bon Aire is always kind of a treat, because the have peel 'em and eat 'em shrimp for 39 cents a piece, and really good hamburgers. On the way home, Linda was reading previous journal posts and complaining that she and Jimmie were not getting nearly enough print space in the journal. Jimmie & Linda. Jimmie & Linda. Jimmie & Linda. Jimmie & Linda. Jimmie & Linda. Jimmie & Linda. Jimmie & Linda. Jimmie & Linda. Okay, that ought to hold her for a while. 

Volume 17 - Day 6/359, 2025 - Monday

It was cold enough this morning that an ice cube could have had a chance in Hell. It is supposed to be a couple degrees colder in the morning, and then a 'warming' trend for the next several days. BUT, the freezing temperatures may go through Sunday morning. The boys (Paul and Richard) and I are not really sure who the dumbest ones are/were, but we did walk this morning, although we did cut about a quarter mile off the walk. Once I got home, I had a leisurely time getting ready to go in to Austin. Once there, Maggie and I took a trip to one of the properties we will be listing. We were almost back to the office, and we turned around and went back. We are both victims of circumstances. Whatever. It did make it up in to the high 40s this afternoon, and it could have been worse. I am pretty sure that NONE of the morning glories will survive the cold temperatures, but that is totally expected. I am not quite ready to call it a night; I went to check the mail after 6PM and it still had not been delivered. I will go look again after 8, and will wonder why it seems to be getting delivered later and later. 

Volume 17 - Day 5/360, 2025 - Sunday

I am feeling rather smug this evening, even if I do say so myself. And I do, since nobody else would be saying that about me. I had a really successful day, chore wise. Paul and Richard and I had a nice walk this morning, and after the walk, I cleaned out the closet in Mike's bedroom, and put a bunch of stuff in the Buzz to take to my storage room, and discarded A LOT of other stuff. It's really a good feeling. I have gone back in there to look at the closet a couple times this afternoon! Shortly after that, I met Candy and Terry for Brunch. On the way home from Brunch, I got gas in the little white car, went in to HEB for 2 quart bottles (2 bottles, 1 quart each) of low fat chocolate milk. They have not had that particular product on the shelves for about the last month. Once I got home, I took the stuff in the Buzz to storage and then went back to an estate sale I went to yesterday. I picked up a few things I did not buy yesterday, because it is always better to pay half-price. All the potted plants, front and back, are either in the house or in the garage, where I expect they will stay until Friday. There is a chance of freezing weather starting tomorrow through Thursday. Not terrible though, since it will get back up at least in to the 40s or better during the day times. Both outside faucets are wrapped up, so I am not really concerned about pipes freezing. I went over to Val and Paulina's later, and we went to dinner with Oliver, and that was good. Two grown-up meals in one day. Now, it is time to settle in for the night, I am expecting it to be pretty chilly on our walk tomorrow.

Volume 17 - Day 4/361, 2025 - Saturday

Well, if you need validation that everything is mucked up, take a look at these Iris blooming in Georgetown. It is January, and Iris are not supposed to be blooming for another three or four months. Everything is crazy, but if blooming Iris are the worst that can happen, I am good with that. We have one more day of warm weather, then a cold front comes in, and we will have low temperatures below freezing for three or four days. That could be worse, too. This morning was good for a walk, and Paul and Richard and I made it even better. Apparently, we are a known entity (the Dawn Patrol) walking in the mornings, one lady waited for us to ask us about precautions she needed to take for the freezing weather. There were three estate sales to hit this morning, and there were seven of us...which meant we were in two cars. I bought about $20 worth of stuff, and everything I bought was half price. I may go back to one tomorrow afternoon, I have some interest on a few things but they were not marked down yet. We will see. I am also planning to take some stuff to my storage place tomorrow, too. I was going to do it today, but I didn't get around to it. James and Kyung invited me over for burgers this afternoon, and it was fun meeting a bunch of their friends. Either three or four of the guys in the group all went to the same High School in California, and they have been friends and kept up with each other since graduation. I think that is pretty cool. Brunch tomorrow will be me, Candy and Terry, and that will be fun to see them, too, and then dinner later in the afternoon with Val, Paulina and Oliver.

Volume 17 - Day 3/362, 2025 - Friday

So far, this semi-retirement thing is going pretty well. It is really kind of a procrastinators dream life. There are a few things I have on my list to get done, but I can do them tomorrow, no problem. Paul and Richard and I had a nice walk this morning, and after that, I only left the house to take the girls outside and to check the mail. I pretty much did extra nothing all day long, not that there is anything wrong with that. I did talk to a couple people on the phone, details about merging the property management, and that was okay. Part of the challenge was that it was grey and cloudy and dribbly all day long. If I wanted that kind of weather, I would go visit Deb and Jay! Tomorrow there are three estate sales and I hope that will reward me with a few items that I am not aware that I need. I may also take a few things to storage, I have been wanting to clean out closets and get some stuff out of the garage, so I think about ten or 15 trips to storage should do it. No need to hurry, so I won't. I am usually pretty pumped about new electronic stuff, but I am not really that excited about this new thing. Any questions? Feel free to ask!

Volume 17 - Day 2/363, 2024 - Thursday

It was not as chilly this morning for our walk, so James, Richard and Paul and I had a good one. There is a lot going on in our worlds right now, and we each have our individual challenges. I got home, fed the girls and had some breakfast, and then it was a leisurely time of getting ready to go in to the office. I had a couple errands to get done, but I still got there around 10. As of the first, our property management portfolio merged with another local company, and it is interesting not to be dealing with leasing and property management. In a good way! There are still pieces and parts that have to be attended to, but overall, this semi-retirement thing is interesting. I am investigating some volunteer things that I can do, and I am wanting to take some classes...glass blowing in Salado is on top of the list. Since my blood/platelet/plasma donations are on hold for the near future, I am thinking I can do some volunteer stuff at the blood bank. I very much like the people there. Jimmie and Linda and I just got back from having ice cream, and I will get this entry done and do some serious television watching. Thursdays are a really good night for broadcast tv. So...let's talk about black eyed peas. I had a couple cans in the pantry, but is actually eating them one of the requirements for New Year's Day? I'm going with, as long as you have the product in the house, that is as good as eating the product. Maybe that will be a new tradition.

Volume 17 - Day 1/364, 2025 - Tuesday

Once again, there were good parts of the day, and there were absolutely awful parts of the day. Richard and I walked this morning, it was chilly outside, and we were pretty well bundled up. Once I got back home, I fed the girls and myself, and went down for a nap. It was a pretty long nap, I tried my best not to watch parades, and I stirred myself up again at about 10:30. I don't think I went anywhere in the car today, mainly because there was no place to go. I got some year-end stuff done, so I am pretty ready for the CPA to finish 2024 off. Val and Paulina came over in the afternoon, and as they were leaving, the Piglet thought it would be a good time to poop (three times) in the floor. I got it all cleaned up, deodorized, and all is okay now. Some things are just really difficult to comprehend. One of my best and closest friends died this afternoon. She had a brain aneurysm and went in to the ICU early yesterday morning, and never regained consciousness. I cannot imagine not seeing her ever again, and my heart is breaking for her husband and family. Awful. Today's photo accompanying this entry: Venus is the planet that is shining above the moon in the evening twilight just at sunset. The moon (lower right) is a waxing crescent,