Volume 17 - Day 151/214, 2025 - Saturday

Well, I have done my best to replicate the John Candy role in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, but not necessarily in that order. Mine was Automobiles, Planes and Trains. I was up this morning at about my usual time, gort some stuff packed and headed to the airport at about 9 o'clock. I had a flight to Chicago at 11:40, and everything went according to plan. I got to Chicago, and got an Uber to take me to Union Station, where my train left at 6:40. I had intended to take the train from Austin to Washington, DC, but there are track repairs being made between Chicago and Austin, so I am doing this the hard way. This is my annual visit to DC for Legislative meetings, and meeting with our elected officials. I will be back in Austin on Thursday. So far, we have made stops in South Bend, Elkhart, and the next one is Waterloo, Indiana. Did you know that Austin was originally called Waterloo? Well, now you do. Dinner was at 7, I sat with three other people, had a nice conversation, and the first glass of wine I have had in several years. Not sure how many. I get to DC tomorrow at 1PM EDT, and so far, so good. Not being in a hurry is not a bad thing.

Volume 17 - Day 150/215, 2025 - Friday

It was a good morning for a walk, so I did. The storm hit the Curious House about 4 o'clock this morning, and we had just over an inch of rain. We will take it, no questions asked. The rain had stopped by the time we walked, so that was no problem. If you are wondering what the results were from my three appointments yesterday, here it is...'Great news your stress test is normal.' I interpret that to mean that the results from my test was normal, not that it was a normal test. Whatever. After the walk was over, I did a couple loads of laundry, and the third load is in the washer as I write this. The girls also got their monthly pill today, and I went to refill their monthly pill at the new vet, but they won't fill the prescription until they have actually seen the girls, so that is on the calendar for June 9th. I did a couple this-and-that kinds of things around the Curious House, and I got to my 2 o'clock eye doctor appointment at about 1 o'clock. I always think that if I get there early, they may take me early. And they did, I was walking out shortly after 2PM. They dilated my eyes, and this photo was taken four hours after, and they are still dilated. Those pupils remind me of my life in the '70s. 

Volume 17 - Day 149/216, 2025 - Thursday

There was no real storm here at the Curious House last night, we did get about a quarter-inch of rain, and no damage. Austin was not that lucky; there was lots of flooding (central Texas is flash-flood prone), one person died, and there are still thousands of people with no electricity. We should have some more rain overnight, possibility of strong storms, so I will just wait and see. If it happens, it will be after midnight. Local radar says the Curious House will be in the storms about 1AM until about 3AM or 4AM. I am not going to complain about rain, so long as there is no devastating damage. I did not walk this morning, since I had three doctors appointments beginning at 8AM. More IVs, this time with radioactive tracers used to evaluate heart function and blood flow. I don't just know that, I looked it up on Google. I am making the assumption that there is no immediate cause for concern, or the would have kept me. Basically, they said someone would call me, but they didn't say who or when. I actually think I will see the results on my 'patient portal.' UGH! Tonight was the neighborhood dinner, and there were sixteen of us, so that was a good crowd. This month, it was Italian, and mine was yummy. Not sure what it was, because I did not get what I ordered, but I did not want to wait for them to make what I ordered. I am just considering it to be the 'pasta surprise,' and that is okay with me. I'll let you know tomorrow if we get any rain!

Volume 17 - Day 148/217, 2025 - Wednesday

I'm not sure if it is going to rain more tonight or not. The radar on my phone says yes, but the sun is shining right bow, and we did get a little rain. South of the Curious House, there were some bad storms and some generously proportioned hail. We seem to be lucky to have missed it. There was no walk this morning, it was raining a little bit and lightning, two of our conditions for not walking. I did not go anywhere today, just stayed in the house with the girls. I did take a few phone calls and do a few volunteer things, but stayed in mostly. Tomorrow I have three doctors appointments, all in a row, starting at 8AM, so there will be no walking for me tomorrow. I am hoping to be home by about 1 o'clock in the afternoon, we shall see. I moved all the plants in the front and the back so they would not be harmed if we did get a storm, so I think that is why we missed to worst of it. We were prepared! I'll let you know tomorrow how the appointments went.

Volume 17 - Day 147/218, 2025 - Monday

Just to bring you up to speed on the storms last night, nothing terrible happened here at the Curious House, but we did get almost an inch (0.99") of rain, and there might be some more overnight tonight. Fingers crossed! Just before the rains hit (and they hit pretty hard), my neighbor Billy brought over a couple slices of home made pizza and some fresh baked cookies. Gina cook, maybe every night, and I am the occasional recipient of her finished products. Yummy! We walked this morning, and it was cooler than usual, and the humidity was not as bad. I think it was actually in the 60s this morning. The Austin high temperature today was 93 degrees, and the highest I noted at the Curious House was 86 degrees. That is a nice change. On our morning walks, we have passed this pile of crap (see photo), on a dead-end part of a street, for the last five or six days. After brunch on Sunday, I checked it out, and there was some good stuff there, and I had my eye on some bricks. This morning, while we were walking, I asked one of the neighbors if he knew who had put it there, and he didn't know. After our ROMEO breakfast, I stopped at another neighbors, next to the pile of crap, and she said they were in the middle of a project, that she didn't know what the vendor left that stuff there, and she didn't know when the work would be done or when the stuff would be moved. Dang it! No bricks for me. Oh, and the Total Stranger Tuesday postings are done, I just think it is more trouble than it is worth, and today it was not fun trying to do it. Rest in Peace! I also took the Buzz to the local VW dealer with no appointment, because the tire air pressure light would not reset, even after I had the tire pressures checked. I nice service lady named Sam showed me how to reset it, and everything is fine right now. There are two recalls on the Buzz, but I will be notified when it is my turn to take it in to be fixed.

Volume 17 - Day 146/219, 2025 - Monday...Memorial Day, 2025

I hope everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day, and took at least a minute or two to acknowledge why we are celebrating. We started the day with a walk, and it was HOT and HUMID. It was cloudy, no sun for most of the day, but it was HOT and it was HUMID. After the walk and after feeding the girls, I did a little rearranging on the front patio. I am now on a quest for a new water feature for the front patio, but not sure where I am going to find something I like. I considered going to Home Depot and/or At Home to look, but I decided against it. I also decided against going to Old Navy, but there is always tomorrow. Tomorrow I will actually go somewhere, first to the ROMEO breakfast, then a doctors appointment in the early afternoon. That will be the first of FIVE doctors appointments this week. Crazy! It looks like we will have some storms this evening, we were supposed to get rain most of the day, but everything fizzled out. It looks like this will actually happen, and our main concerns are hail, winds and flooding. West of us there are tornado warnings, but so far we are not included in that. We shall see. Right now, we are enjoying rain cooled temperatures, it is only 82 degrees, and breezy. So far, so good. 

Volume 17 - Day 145/220, 2025 - Sunday

It was a good walk this morning, and after that I went to brunch with Alisha. I had considered going to Old Navy, but there is always tomorrow. I did do some touch-up painting on the fence...the guys that built the stone wall around the back flower bed got some concrete and grout on the fence, but you can't tell where that was now. I have been meaning to do that for the past couple weeks, and it is done now. I also got all the algae off the two water bowls in the back yard, so they look like someone (besides the birds and the other thirsty fauna) is paying attention. I guess doing that once or twice a season is not too bad. There is nothing on the schedule for tomorrow, but I may actually get out of the Curious House at some point, other than to take my morning walk. I may not actually do a walk in the morning, there is a pretty good chance that it will be raining in the mornings for the next couple days. I will gladly sacrifice the walking if we can get some rain. I was two days ago old when I realized that hostas bloomed. I don't know why I was not aware of it, but I never thought about it until one of the hostas on the front porch started blooming. Kind of pretty, too, in a hosta kind of way. I am also in the market for a water feature for the front porch. I would need to do a little bit of rearranging, but that should not be too big of a deal. Please feel free to cross your fingers that we get some rain at the Curious House in the next couple days!

Volume 17 - Day 144/221, 2025 - Saturday

Of course the day started off with a nice walk. James walked with us, and there is a portion of the walk that I walk backwards (up a hill) and it works a whole different set of leg muscles. That was a James idea, but it is kind of an interesting thing to do, and I do think it works different muscles. Whatever. After the walk, the girls and I had breakfast, and then we (me, Judy, Marge Paulina, Val and Krisa), went to estate sales. There were only two sales, and today was the last day for both sales, which meant everything was half-price. I bought one small little painting for $9, and that was it. After the estate sales, I did little of anything until ti was time to get ready for the first house concert of the 2025 season. It is interesting that this is the fifth year of house concerts, and I enjoy doing them. I'm pretty sure, too, that everyone has a good time when they are here. It was really hot, but there was a nice little breeze, and there was nice shade, so it could have been worse. Brunch tomorrow will be at 9:30 at the Original Pancake house, one of my favorite brunch spots. After brunch, I have nothing else on my list, so it seems like it will be a pretty calm day. I do (kind of) want to go to Old Navy and see if they have some stretchy pants. Don't ask.

Volume 17 - Day 143/222, 2025 - Friday

As usual, the day started with a nice walk, although it was warmer than was absolutely necessary. After the walk, I was still tired from my adventures on Thursday, so I took a nice little nap. I got up from the nap and went in to Austin to pick up prescriptions, and made a few stops on the way home; Home Depot to buy six bricks to put under one side of the fence, where there are low spots and the girls (particularly Callie) and the neighbors dogs try to kill each other. I don't mind the barking and growling, but I don't want them sticking their heads under the fence. We will see how that works out. Then a quick trip to HEB for a few things, and then a quick stop at the bank. Once home, I went down for another nap. Paulina, Krisa and Oliver came over at 4 and we went for bar-b-que dinners in Georgetown. Yummy. Book club was tonight, too, and Dick and Marge outdid themselves. This months book was The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and they went crazy! Marge was dressed up like Dorothy, Richard had on a cowardly lion outfit, and the door prizes were items from the book. I ended up with a heart (clock), a Wizard of Oz Activity Bag, and a souvenir from the lolly pop kids. Much fun. Two estate sales tomorrow, so I will see what I can find that I had no idea I needed. We shall see. Oh yeah, the first house concert of our fifth season is tomorrow night, so stop by if you are in the area. 7 til 9.

Volume 17 - Day 142/223, 2025 - Thursday

Today was kind of the opposite of yesterday, and, truth be known, I am writing this tomorrow. It's almost 12:30AM on Friday, and I got home about ten minutes ago. It was kind of a busy, but really, REALLY fun day. I did half a walk this morning, because I was heading to San Antonio at 9:30 with Jimmie and Linda. We got started right on time, and stopped in Gruene (pronounced Green) for lunch. I had way too much, but it was really good, especially the onion rings and the fries. After lunch, we kept going south and got to San Antonio about 2:30. Linda check her and Jimmie in to their hotel for the night, and we all went to their room and took a nap. I tried out the couch, and it was perfect for a nap. Eileen was going to meet us for dinner, and so we headed to Boudro's (on the Riverwalk) and Eileen met us about ten minutes after we got there. I was still full from lunch, so I had a bowl of gumbo and a couple diet Pepsi's. After dinner, we walked to the Majestic theater for the Hauser concert. OMFG, it was even better than the concert I went to last year, and I think everybody enjoyed it. It was great. If you like cello, you should find Hauser and see if you can make one of his concerts. He and his group played for a good two hours, and I am just as happy as I can be that I got to sit there with good friends and enjoy myself. Jimmie and Linda are going to Mexico today (remember I am authoring this tomorrow), so Eileen drove me back to the Curious House. We were stuck on IH-35 for a good half hour...seemed longer, but we got to the Curious House after midnight, and Eileen is now on her way to her house in Spicewood. All in all, a pretty good day!

Volume 17 - Day 141/224, 2025 - Wednesday

It is seriously past my bedtime! I just got home (it's after 11) from Oliver's graduation. There were 939 kids in his graduating class. That is more than the entire high school I went to...back in the old days. It was a cooler than usual morning when I got up...I think it was 64 degrees, and it was only me and Paul for the walk. After the walk, I did some paperwork, took a nap, and I really cannot think of too much I did of any consequence. I don't think I got out of the house except to take the girls outside, check the mail and water plants. Dan and Nancy are heading back to Las Cruces early tomorrow morning, and it was nice to see them a couple times in the last week. Even though I don't pay attention to stuff like this any more, I am looking forward to the Holiday Weekend. Traditionally, it floods in central Texas over the Memorial Day weekend. We are expecting rain on Monday, so... We shall see. 

Volume 17 - Day 140/225, 2025 - Tuesday

Okay, there is a rumor going around that a cold front came through this afternoon, and that it lowered the humidity. I can neither confirm nor deny, mainly because I would have to go outside to determine that. I have stayed inside since about 2 o'clock this afternoon, with the exception of a few minutes when I went to collect the mail. I will take the girls outside in an hour or two, and maybe then I will know if something good has happened. We had a good walk this morning, my neighbor Gina joined us, and that has been good. There were lots of friends and lots of pups walking this morning, and I think I disbursed about ten dog treats along the way. It's always a great way to start a conversation. After the walk, I met Richard and Rick for the ROMEO breakfast, and, of course, it is Total Stranger Tuesday. Todays victim (I mean stranger) was not the least bit hesitant in playing along, and that was fun. I left breakfast just a little bit early to go and retrieve Oliver and Krisa from the airport, and the timing was perfect. They landed early, I was already at the airport, they had no checked baggage, I got them in the Buzz and got them home, no problems. On the way home, I stopped to get air in the tires (not sure which one was low), and not sure that cured the warning light on the dashboard. Tomorrow will tell. After that, I stopped at the dentist to confirm my appointment, and that is all ready to go forward. Tomorrow is Oliver's graduation, Thursday I am going to San Antonio for a Hauser concert, Friday is Book Club, and Saturday is estate sales. I am one busy guy! I have seen several Texas Sage's blooming, and that means rain! Fingers crossed.

Volume 17 - Day 139/226, 2025 - Monday

Richard and Marge had a series of appointments today, so Richard didn't walk with us. Paul got to the meeting place, and he decided he had too much stuff to do, so he turned around and went home. Today was the first day my neighbor Gina wanted to walk, so we walked together and had a nice walk. I let her know all the gossipy stuff in the various sections of the neighborhood, and we had a good time. After that, I had a nice breakfast, and then it was time to head in to Austin to donate some platelets. On the way, I did make a stop at the post office, to mail a letter. There is just something about the outgoing mail box at the office and the one here at the Curious House that makes me a little bit uncomfortable, so I just drop mail off at the Post Office. Not a big deal, since I really don't have that much outgoing mail. I learned a few things at the blood bank today... While they were taking my pulse, I was told me heart had skipped a beat. I knew nothing of it. Shouldn't I know when my heart skips a beat? The intake lady said it was okay (for them) if they recognized one skipped heart beat, but five in a short time would be a problem. Glad I wasn't a problem. I got home about 2 o'clock, and went down for a nap. It has been cloudy most of the day, but as usual, the san has come out just a few minutes ago. Tomorrow is ROMEO breakfast, and then I will head to the airport to pick up Oliver and Krisa, who went to visit Krisa's niece (I think, or maybe a nephew), in LA. Then on Wednesday it will be Oliver's graduation. This is the second Morning Glory of the season. There was one on Saturday, one yesterday (see photo) and one today. That will be somewhat odd if I only get one a day. Ugh!

Volume 17 - Day 138/227, 2025 - Sunday

It was not quite as warm (less hot) this morning and less humid (I think) this morning as it was yesterday when we did our walk. It was, however, really warm, and really humid. After the walk, I did a quick nap, and at about 10 o'clock I got myself up and visited the estate sale that I had visited yesterday. There were still a few things that I spied yesterday, so I brought them home. It was 50% off day, and now I have ANOTHER clock and ANOTHER doll. The doll is particular creepy, but I like it a lot. Val and Paulina and Nancy and Dan were expected at about 1 o'clock, and we went to Walburg for lunch. The buffet is always good, and we all had a good time. After I got back home, I went down for another nap, and that is about all I have done today. I am pretty happy with this retirement gig thing! Tomorrow, I will go in to Austin to donate platelets, and make a couple stops on the way in. I guess at some point, I am going to have to get serious about not getting more clocks...but I guess I can study on that more tomorrow.

Volume 17 - Day 137/228, 2025 - Saturday

We had a very nice rain storm last night, after I published the journal. LOTS of lightning, not a lot of thunder, but LOTS of rain and some pretty good wind. There was a little bit of hail, not anything big enough here at the Curious House to do any damage, and I was happy about that. There was 1.24" measured in the gauge this morning, so we are totally happy with that. There was a possibility of more rain this evening, but the radar looks like it will miss us. We had a nice walk this morning, me, Richard, Paul and James. We solved most of the worlds problems about half way through the walk, and created several new ones by the time the walk was over. After breakfast and a bit of a nap, Marian, Marge and I hit two estate sales. I personally was asked to leave the second one, but it was okay, it was staffed with some very creepy people from New York state, and none of the three of this could figure out was their issue was. But, we recovered, and drove out to the farm and I showed Marian and Marge where Jody and I had lived. We should build a commune of tiny houses on the land, and build a main community building with the big kitchen, communal dining and living area, and maybe a pool. I have thought about that for a while, but I doubt it will ever come to fruition. It is an interesting idea, though. I left the house at about 3:45 this afternoon to pick up Krisa, Dan, Nancy, Val and Paulina to have dinner to celebrate Oliver's graduation on Wednesday. The photo with this entry includes Oliver, Dan, Nancy, Krisa, Paulina, me and Val. It was fun! I will go back to the estate sale I was not thrown out of tomorrow morning, and then we are going to Walburg for lunch tomorrow afternoon.

Volume 17 - Day 136/229, 2025 - Friday

Oh, my stars and garters! It is very warm, but at least it is cloudy, not sun baking down and burning things up warm. Suddenly, we have the chance of some rain in the next hour or so, but I would not bet the farm on it. Honestly, going on our walk this morning was the only thing I did today that went as planned. I had a very logical list of tasks to get completed today, but none of it worked out as planned. My first errand was foiled because the place had changed their hours, and they did not open until eleven. Then I headed in to Austin, where I had an 11:30 appointment. So, I dilly-dallied around, stopped at Hallmark, got gas at Costco, did a couple other things, and got to my 11:30 appointment at 11:09. That's when I discovered that the appointment was for 11AM, not 11:30. Okay...whatever... Then, I headed back north, and made a stop at the Costco on 183. They did not have what I was looking for. Then I stopped at my first planned task location, and saw Marge and Richard coming out of Sugar Mommy's. I had planned to stop there to get Marge a birthday present of cake balls, and a birthday card. Oh, today is Marge's birthday. SO...I had Marge turn around and pick out the cake balls and birthday card she wanted, just to make sure she liked what I got her for her birthday. Then I went to the Costco in Georgetown, where they had what I was looking for, and more. Back home at close to 3, checked the mail, and at 4:15 I headed to Bon Aire in Austin with Jimmie and Linda for peel-'em-and-eat-'em shrimp, and a bratwurst. Delicious! Home now, and, even though there is a possibility of rain, I just turned the sprinklers on. Let's go!

Volume 17 - Day 135/230, 2025 - Thursday

Today was a relatively busy day! We got off to a nice walk this morning, although the mornings are getting warmer and more humid. I broke a record this morning, going through eleven dog treats in one morning. That means, we saw ten different dogs, because Denver always get two treats. I had a noon appointment at the Austin Board, and I left a little early to make a stop at the office. My noon meeting was only to make a presentation to the Diversity Committee, so I was headed back home by about noon-30. On the way, I stopped back at the dentist to give them some paperwork, and then home. I went down to try and take a nap, but I don't believe I was very successful. After being a failure at taking a nap, I had a couple things to do around the Curious House, and then it was off to Val and Paulina's for dinner. Everything right now is working up to Oliver's graduation next week. Krisa is here from Poland, and Dan and Nancy are here from Las Cruces. Dan and Nancy used to live three doors down from the Curious House, and it was great seeing everyone. Tomorrow, I have one meeting at the Board, and a couple phone calls to make, and that will be it for the day. I have not even looked at estate sales yet for Saturday, but I will get around to it. 

Volume 17 - Day 134/231, 2025 - Wednesday

It was a nice morning for a walk, and after that, I had a 10 o'clock appointment and a dentist appointment in the early afternoon. I am not a fan of dentists, but I am getting comfortable with the group I have chosen. It's a sedation dentist office, and we have a plan for what needs to be done. It has been a while since I was at the dentist, and I am not having any issues, but I want to make sure I don't. Technology is certainly advanced, and it will all work out okay. It made it to 101 degrees in Austin the last time I heard the news, and the highest I saw on my watch was 97 degrees. My little weather station once again registered 107 degrees, but I don't think that is a reliable reading. Tomorrow, I have a noon appointment in Austin, then I have to drop off some paperwork at the dentist office, and maybe a trip to Costco. Maybe not. Thursday is also the designated day to search for estate sales on the weekend, so we will see what I can find.

Volume 17 - Day 133/232, 2025 - Tuesday

It was a good morning for a walk, even though I only did a little more than half the walk. I did get everything watered, front and back, before I headed to Georgetown for our ROMEO breakfast. I did not even make it inside before I spotted my victim(s) for Total Stranger Tuesday. And, our tables were across from each other, so we had fun talking back and forth through breakfast. On the way home, I stopped at Galaxy Bakery and brought home a couple raspberry scones for myself. It was the first time I have seen Ike at the bakery in a long while, and we had a nice conversation. Once I was back to the Curious House, I managed to avoid doing any vacuuming or dusting, and THAT was a good thing. I did get a few things done, making I had copies of dental insurance cards for my appointment tomorrow, getting a few other things done for my November trip to Antarctica, getting a few things ready for my 1:30 zoom meeting, and mixing a couple naps in along the way. The temperature did make it to 100 degrees in Austin today, the warmest it was in Georgetown, according to my watch, was 99 degrees. According to my little weather station, it was 107 degrees. No matter which one you believe to be the most accurate, it was not cool outside this afternoon. I have one quick meeting before the dental appointment tomorrow, and than I expect to be recovering from the trauma once I get home by the middle of the afternoon. I do not tolerate dental appointments very well. I'll let you know tomorrow how it went, but honestly, I expect it to be okay.

Volume 17 - Day 132/233, 2025 - Monday

Okay, y'all need to get ready, because I have a feeling you will be hearing a lot about the weather here around the Curious House in the next several days. If this forecast come to fruition, it will be the earliest 100 degree temperatures EVER in central Texas. That's just great. It was a lovely day today, though. In the low 50s when we walked this morning, and I left the windows open until early afternoon. I actually vacuumed my bedroom, the bathroom and the closet this morning. I have not dusted. The vacuum is now in the living room, and my plan is to vacuum that area tomorrow, working my way to the front of the house. We will see if I can follow through with the plan or not. Then, maybe some dusting. Linda texted me earlier and asked if I wanted to go with them to Wildfire in Georgetown for dinner, it was prime rib special night. Of course I said yes, and I had the special and a baked potato, very good. Now it is close to time for Antiques Roadshow, and then I will find a news station after that, and do what I do most of the time...watch the news. 

Volume 17 - Day 131/234, 2025 - Sunday

Welcome to Sunday evening! It was a good day, and I got a lot of stuff done. Of course it started with a nice walk with Paul and Richard, and then I took off for brunch with Paulina, Val and Oliver. Paulina doesn't recognize American Mother's Day, she waits for the Polish Mother's Day, which is still a couple weeks off. After brunch, I went to Target, CS, and HEB. Then it was down for a nap. Aside from that...I think of myself as a relatively informed and intelligent kind of old person, but there are lot of words being flung around that, well, I am not exactly sure of their meaning, especially as they are being thrown around by allegedly important persons. For example...Habeas Corpus. That is Latin for 'you shall have the body,' which is a fundamental legal principle (in the U.S.) that protects individuals from unlawful detention. It means that someone detained for one reason (or no reason) can challenge that detention, forcing the state to justify the reasons for detaining them. It is in the U.S. Constitution, to insure that people are not arbitrarily imprisoned. That is what I learned today, maybe it is helpful for you as well. Speaking of Mother's Day, the photo accompanying this entry are my two kids...and they believe me to be both Mother and Father. I do my best!

Volume 17 - Day 130/235, 2025 - Saturday

It was a good morning for a walk, even though I hardly slept at all last night. I need to quit watching the news and then trying to go to sleep. Overnights are pleasant at the Curious House, I have been able to leave the windows open and get some cool, fresh air in the house, and that is wonderful. After tonight, there will be two more days of cool mornings, and then it will be summer. After the walk and a couple bagels for breakfast, we hit three-and-a-half estate sales. The half estate sale ended up really being a garage sale, but we stopped anyway. When I was a kid, I did a lot of flea markets and estate sales and just collected a bunch of stuff. I even set up a booth pretty frequently at a flea market, and that was fun. I went through a period then of collecting little figurines that were marked 'Made in Occupied Japan.' I wasn't the only person collecting those, they were very much sought after, but I think the popularity waned about 45 years ago. 'Occupied Japan' (if you have never heard of that), refers to goods produced during the post-war occupation of that country. Occupied by Allied Troops, and most of those goods were made especially for export. At the garage/estate sale, I bought this little piece for a dollar. There is nothing very special about it, but it reminds me of a time long ago when I had a life that was full of hope and doubt. Aspiration and stupidity. Wonder and fear. But, I made it this far, so that is something.

Volume 17 - Day 129/236, 2025 - Friday

Well, it is the end of yet another week. After our walk this morning, I made a list of six things I want to get done over the weekend. I have done three of them. I went in to the office late this morning, and I made an appointment with a new dentist for next week. I am deathly afraid of dentists, and I have been ever since I was a child (that's a long time ago). Just looking at various dentists in Georgetown via the Internet was making me anxious. I noted the addresses of two, and went to visit them. I only made it to the first one, and now I have a new patient appointment on Wednesday afternoon. I have from now until Wednesday to come up with a good excuse to cancel the appointment. Whatever. When I got in to the office, I cleaned off my desk, and there was nothing of any particular importance that needed to be paid attention to. Almost everything went into the recycle bin or went to the shredder. On the way home, I stopped at Golden Chick and had their fried shrimp plate. I don't think it is as good as it was last year, but it will do. I may do it once or twice more before they remove that menu item. We'll see. Once I got back to the Curious House this afternoon, I had a chance to pay attention to the really pretty clouds that are filling up the sky. There are three estate sales tomorrow, and it will be interesting to see what I find that I cannot live without.

Volume 17 - Day 128/237, 2025 - Thursday

The weather prognosticator on television just said we can expect high temperatures next week to be 99 degrees, 'and that is very close to 100.' Ugh. I hate experiencing the dumbing down of everything! My day went pretty much according to plan. It started off with a nice walk with Richard and Paul, and after that, I put to trash and recycling cans out at the curb. I had a raspberry scone for breakfast, and then I went down for a nap. I spent a lot of time in the laundry room today, but now, almost everything is clean. I got some work done in the office, sent some emails, made some calls, straightened up some stuff in the garage, took some things to storage, and made a trip to the bank. All according to plan. Tomorrow I expect I will go in to Austin for a bit, dead-head some roses and geraniums, and take it easy. I need to rest up for estate sales on the weekend. The rest of the evening is going to be devoted to television and junk food. Just what I like. I understand the Vatican has posted a photo of JD Vance at the Security Entrance. You can never be too careful!

Volume 17 - Day 127/238, 2025 - Wednesday

We had a good walk this morning, better than the afternoon walk we had yesterday after the rain. I added everything up, and we have had almost four inches of rain so far this month. I am happy about that, and I wish we could get good rains like that more often. After the walk this morning, I had a little bit of breakfast, and then got ready to go in to Austin for a 10 o'clock meeting. Some of you might know, my business partner Carrie and I divested ourselves of our property management portfolio as of January first, and we both associated ourselves with LIVE512 Realty in Austin. Two of the three principles of LIVE 512 are former agents of ours, and the Broker of Record was formerly affiliated with the Texas Real Estate Commission. Lots of good credentials with LIVE512. I am out of the property management business, which means I sleep through all the nights now (for the most part), and if peoples fences blow down, I am not the person they call. I made a couple stops after my meeting this morning, and got home about 2, and I had just enough time to get ready for my 2:30 phone call, which led to a 4 o'clock phone call. Now I think I am pretty much done for the day. Linda and Jimmie just called and gave me an excuse not to stress over the fact that there is nothing on television tonight, so I will be heading out with them for ice cream in just a few minutes. 

Volume 17 - Day 126/239, 2025 - Tuesday

We did not walk this morning because it was raining. It did let up, and Richard and I made it to breakfast. It was just the two of us, and I made it there and back with no real challenges. Since it was Total Stranger Tuesday, I surveyed the potential victims, and was rejected twice by two women at the same table. I thought it was possible, so I asked them before I at my last piece of toast, so I would have something to look forward to. The next Stranger I approached was much more amenable, she was with her family (including her dad), and the photo attached to this entry is the result. I snickered at the two ladies that turned me down, and I think that pissed them off. Some people just don't have a sense of humor. About an hour after I got home, it started raining like crazy! 55 mile per hour wind gusts, I closed the blinds on the windows because it was raining so hard, I thought the glass might break. I doubted the blinds would do much, but maybe they would keep the glass shards from killing me and/or the girls. The winds and rain ended about one o'clock, and we started our walk at 3 o'clock. By then, it was 87 degrees, and very humid. The walk was a bit difficult, and I was really tired when I got home. I think we are through with the rain for the foreseeable future, which does not really make me happy. We need all the rain we can get, short term, and it will be interesting to see if the lake levels have increased significantly. I will be going in to Austin tomorrow; I have a 10 o'clock meeting and then back home for a 2:30 telephone meeting. Don't forget, I am a really lucky man!

Volume 17 - Day 125/240, 2025 - Monday

During our walk this morning, we were expecting it to rain later, and it was already cloudy. The photo accompanying this entry was taken of the Curious House from the other side of the Parkway. The important part of the photo is the clouds, I like clouds. After the walk, I hung out at the house for a while, and did a little bit of business, and then headed in to Austin to donate another round of Platelets. I am getting back on schedule with this, and I will be donation will be on the 20th. I'm good doing that every two weeks or so. It started raining while I was at the blood bank, and it hasn't really stopped since. Earlier this afternoon, I emptied 0.93" from the gauge, and it is expected to rain more overnight. There is a good chance it will be raining in the morning, which will curtail our walk. BUT, even though there might be no walk, there will be breakfast, so that is always a Tuesday morning something-to-do! So, there is not a lot more going on here, I have actually turned off all the ceiling fans, the air conditioner is set at 80, and I have been wearing a fleece jacket for most of the afternoon. Still, not that interesting!

Volume 17 - Day 124/241, 2025 - Sunday

I wonder where the confusion comes in to play? "...and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." It seems pretty clear to me, and I and just a high school grad, nothing fancy. But, a very high officed elected official says "I don't know." It is scarier than it is sad, just saying. So...it was a nice morning, low 50s, no wind so a jacket was not necessary. Finally, there were some clouds to share with you. Recently skies have been grey, overcast or dark. Today was good! After the walk, I hung out with the girls for a little while, and then I went and had brunch with Candy. After brunch, I came home and got the Buzz and went back to one of the estate sales I was at yesterday. Judy and Bob had gone earlier and bought a painting, but it was too big for their car, so it fit nicely in the Buzz. I got the salt lamp I spied yesterday, but none of the art I was interested in was still there. That's alright! Then it was nap time, and I did very little of anything for the rest of the day. I did put some stuff in the Buzz to take to storage, but I didn't leave the house again, I will take it tomorrow. I have an appointment at 10 o'clock, and donating Platelets at 11:15. Nothing else on the schedule until Wednesday. Life is tough, I am a lucky man!

Volume 17 - Day 123/242, 2025 - Saturday

It was in the 50s when I got up this morning, perfect weather for a nice walk...me, James, Paul and Richard. After the walk, I lounged around for a while, before we headed out for six estate sales. I did not buy anything until the fourth sale, but then I made up for lost time. AND...I paid full price! At the last sale, I did buy ANOTHER clock, $37.50, it is a very attractive art deco clock, and it works well, so that is good. I like it a lot when I buy clocks for cheap and I don't have to turn around immediately and take them to the clock shop to be repaired. Val, Paulina and Oliver came over late this afternoon, and we headed in to Georgetown for dinner. BBQ of course, and I had the two meat plate, much of which is now residing in the refrigerator, where it will be forgotten and ultimately discarded. Whatever. Brunch tomorrow morning at 10AM, and then I am going to hit one of the estate sales I was at today, there are a couple things I have my eye on that I did not want to pay full price for. Tomorrow will be half-price!

Volume 17 - Day 122/243, 2025 - Friday

It was about 63 degrees when we started our walk this morning, a bit cooler than it has been for the last several days. Still, jackets were not necessary, and we had a nice walk. Even though I had not expected to be tired from my escapades yesterday, I was, and after the walk, I went down for a longer-than-usual nap. Napping is not unusual, but generally I only nap for 15 or 20 minutes at a time. The girls had an appointment at the beautiful parlor later this morning, and then got home about 3 o'clock. It rained off and on most of the day, but once again, all the serious storms did not make it to the Curious House. I had meant to go visit with Val and Paulina this afternoon, but I moved it to Saturday because there was supposed to be bad weather. The fact that we didn't have big storms is totally okay with me, but we can still use more rain. Rain chances are supposed to be less over the weekend, but I think we may have more rain next week. Bring it on. There are six estate sales tomorrow, so that is always something fun to do. Let me know if there is anything in particular you want me to look out for you!

Volume 17 - Day 121/244, 2025 - Thursday

Well, today was a fun day, overall. Up early as usual, and there was 0.92" of rain overnight in the gauge. Paul and Richard and I had a nice walk, and once I was back home, I went down for a nap. I did roust myself up late morning, and took off to Home Depot for three pretty good sized pots for the milk weed plants I bought yesterday. I was looking at the two milk weeds I bought over the weekend, and one of them is getting ready to bloom. That was quick. I did not pot the three plants, I will do that tomorrow. The wall I had built around the back flower bed last week seems to have worked well in the rain, and now I need to get about 10 or 20 square feet of sod to cover up some exposed sprinkler lines, and I expect I can get that done tomorrow. This afternoon, I joined Rick, Nora, Nicole and Shelley at the May Day Hands Off Central Texas March. We walked from the Capitol to City Hall and back. Not sure how many people participated in the march, I was say at least a couple thousand. I definitely got some extra steps in today. On the way home, we stopped in Round Rock for a little dinner, and I made it back to the Curious House by about (:15, We have not had very much rain, I was leery of the predicted storm, but it was not to be. I was mostly concerned about the possibility of hail, but there was none. We are having a spectacular lightning show, and it is interesting to watch it. Very nice.