Volume 18 - Day 163/202, 2026 - Friday

Well, hell. I did four loads of clothes today, and at (kind of) the same time, I was also taking a class. Whenever we had a break, I was doing something in the laundry room. For the second time, I have had issues washing the quilt/spread/blanket thing that is on my bed. Today, I washed that with nothing but two pillow cases, and I eventually had to stop the washer, try to distribute the girth of the spread, and put it back on just the spin cycle. I finally got it as 'spun' as I could, and ended up putting it in the dryer, still loaded with water. Apparently, the reason I do not frequently do laundry is, that I am just not that good at it. I swear I have washed that quilt/spread/blanket thing before and did not have that problem, but, whatever. I am good for about another month, so if you smell something, it is likely me. After the class, I made a trip to the Post Office, then back to the Curious House, and then a quick trip to HEB. I am going out of town on Sunday, and I am in the process of marking things off my packing list, and throwing things in the vicinity of my carry-on and my back pack. I am getting better at not packing a lot of stuff, and I am kind of happy about that. We shall see how it all works out.

Volume 18 - Day 162/203, 2026 - Thursday

I have never seen a traffic jam caused by porta-potties. Apparently there were too many potties on this trailer, and three or four of them flew off the trailer onto the expressway. Okay, well, I am not sure that happened at all, but now that I have your attention... I did my four hour class today, and I have another one tomorrow. After tomorrow, I will have all the REQUIRED education to renew my real estate license, plus several that I just took because I had nothing better to do. After the class, I took the Buzz to the VW dealer in Georgetown for a damage estimate. Less that I expected, just about $2,300. Now I am having a contentious time with the insurance company. Not my insurance company, the insurance company of the man that ran into the Buzz last Saturday. I won't mention any names, but the company name rhymes with State Farm. I am not a fan. Whatever. After the class tomorrow, I may go to HEB for just a few things, and I need to do laundry and a couple other things around the house before I head out of town on Sunday. And, I expect there will be a couple other things I will need to do, like seeing if I can fit into any of my conference clothes. 

Volume 18 - Day 161/204, 2026 - Wednesday

After our walk this morning, I got ready to drive in to Austin for a ten o'clock meeting. Traffic was typical, I encountered an invisible wreck, and it took about 30 minutes to go four miles on MoPac. It must have been an invisible wreck, because when traffic started moving, there was nothing I could see that caused the slowdown. I got to my meeting, and I was only four minutes late. I always leave early because you never know what will happen along the way. I ran a few errands on the way home, and one very fun thing I did was to take a big jar of coins to the bank to cash them in. I have been putting coins in the jar for a LONG time, and some of the things I found in the jar were pretty interesting; three or four foreign coins, fourteen dollars worth of two-dollar bills, and a note that Jody had written. Jody's note said 53 nickels, 2.65. 107 dimes, 10.70. 75 quarters, 18.75, and 315 pennies, 3.15. To say the least, I was really surprised to find that note. Tomorrow I will call the Volkswagen dealer and ask them what time to body shop is open, so I can go get an estimate for the Buzz repairs. I am taking a four hour virtual class tomorrow and Friday, so maybe I can get the Buzz to the repair place after 2PM. Probably.

Volume 18 - Day 160/205, 2026 - Tuesday

Today was a busy day for a Tuesday. Besides our early morning walk, I had two zoom meetings, an in person meeting and a couple errands to get done. The two zoom meetings were nicely spaced so there was an hour between the first one and the second one. I did get a couple errands completed before my three o'clock appointment, so that meant it was nap time. A couple times! Dick and Marge are heading back to Chicago (Buffalo Grove) for the summer, so we had a Bon Voyage dinner for them tonight. There were 23 of the neighbors attending, and it was great. The server in the restaurant was a little bit stretched, but otherwise, we had a great time talking and having a great time. I am pretty sure we are all happy to have such a great group of friends, and it shows every day!

Volume 18 - Day 159/206, 2026 - Monday

I did a couple of errands this morning before I went to pick up Marian, and we drove in to Austin for our platelet donation. Of course, it goes without saying that we stopped at Upper Crust Bakery on the way, just to pick up a few things to sustain us for the week coming. While we were standing in line, my friend Teresa came over, and there were hugs all around. Marian does not know much about that past life, but now she has a few bits of information. Teresa was my first broker when I got my real estate license, back in 1995. There has been a lot of water running under that bridge! Teresa was there with Omar, who I did not recognize at first. Omar and I are both on a committee at the Austin Board, so that was interesting to see him this morning. We made it to the blood bank, and we were in and out with no big issues, nothing exciting happening! There is a lot to be thankful for if there are 'no big issues' while we are donating platelets! While blood and platelets were flowing out of my arm, I was listening to the book we are reading this month for book club, Vera Wongs Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man). It is certainly an easy read (listen), and I don't need to think too much about it while I am listening! I got home and went down for a nap, which is also a good thing, and now I am done for the day. I do need to go and check the mail, but that will be it for me.

Volume 18 - Day 158/207, 2026 - Sunday

Up until about 6:30 this evening, I had nothing to eat today with any nutritional value. For breakfast, I had a scone. Not terrible. For lunch, I don't even remember what I had, but I know there were some M&Ms involved. Paulina and I went to see The Bird Cage this afternoon, it is hard to believe that the first time I saw it was 30 years ago. While we were doing estate sales yesterday, Marian said she and her daughter Lexi were going today. Val, Paulina and I watched La Cage aux Folles at the Curious House last week, so it was fitting that we go see The Bird Cage today. We saw Marian and Lexi, and after the movie, we did the selfie that is accompanying this journal entry. My resolution to boycott CBS has been tweaked a little bit. I will NOT watch ANY CBS news programming, but I will watch the shows I like on Thursday evenings, and I am watching the Tony Awards right now. Sue me. So far, the Tony's have been really good, but CBS had nothing to do with that. Whatever. When we got home this afternoon, I fed the girls and for dinner I had the chicken and rice that Paulina brought me at some point last week. Yummy good. Tomorrow is a platelet day, and it will be me and Marian, and that will be a good day.

Volume 18 - Day 157/208, 2026 - Saturday

Overnight we collected 1.57" of rain, and that is excellent. It was an estate sale day, me, Diane, Marian and Paulina. While were were stopped at a red light, the guy behind us said his foot slipped off the brake pedal, and he hit us in the back. The force seemed like more than a 'creep,' so maybe he uses both feet and when his left foot slipped off the brake, his right foot was on the accelerator. Who knows. There is not a lot of damage to the Buzz, but I expect the whole back piece under the tail gate will have to be replaced, and a little piece of the tailgate will have to be repaired/painted. I don't know dollar wise, but likely several thousand dollars. We (that means I) had not intended to call the Police, but one saw the incident and pulled in behind us. I have been watching TOO MANY YouTube videos lately, so when the officer got out, I immediately asked him if I was being detained, and that I knew my rights, particularly my first and fourth Amendment rights, so don't mess with me. He went along with it, the other guy and I exchanged information, and we went on to the sales. I am pretty sure we all bought something, in fact, I bought quite a few things, and it was a good day of estate sales, all things considered. Now I just need to get the stuff out of the Buzz and spread it around in the house! After the sales, I had one errand to run, and then Paulina and I drove to Temple to visit a friend's 'Treatery!' FroYo, macaroons, cupcakes, everything you need for a good a lunch! We brought stuff home, too. There is not a lot of chores on my list for tomorrow, but I am pretty sure I can do something to make it interesting.

Volume 18 - Day 156/209, 2026 - Friday

Today turned out to be a day for running errands and getting little things done. Paulina came over for coffee this morning, and then I went to the post office to mail a package, I stopped at a restaurant in Round Rock to make reservations, and then I was off to Austin to pick up one of my prescriptions. On the way home, I stopped at Inner Space Caverns, and inquired about doing fund raisers there, and maybe a dinner in the caverns. They wanted no part of that, even though the web site intimates that they do those kinds of things. Whatever, it is their loss. It has rained off and on a few times today, we had a nice, but rapid, downpour about four o'clock, and we have close to a quarter-inch since this morning. I went to dinner this afternoon with Jimmie and Linda, and that was fun, I have not seen them in about a week. I have had two deliveries of bird seed, one yesterday and one today. A total of 40 pounds of bird seed, that I do not remember ordering. Interesting. I think this photo was taken three or four years ago, not exactly sure, scuba diving in Playa or Tulum. It was great, not sure I will do more scuba diving. Maybe, maybe not.

Volume 18 - Day 155/210, 2026 - Thursday

I'm torn, although I really shouldn't be. I am enamored with clouds. The fluffy, really pretty ones. I don't care for overcast skies. The clouds that make the days grey and gloomy. Today was a grey and gloomy kind of day, and we even had a little bit (0.08") of rain, so no complaints about that. And the bad clouds gave way this afternoon to some pretty clouds, and I am happy about that. The girls went to the beautiful parlor this morning, and they absolutely hate that, and it exhausts them. They are back, and they have been asleep most of the afternoon. I have been taking them every three months, but this last time was too long, the girls looked a little bit like strays, so their next appointment is in two months. That will probably be too quickly, but we will figure it out. After I brought the girls home, I went to HEB and bought a few things, nothing to get excited about. I finished the book I was reading about Hitler, BLITZED - Drugs in the Third Reich. I really didn't care for the book too much, and I was aware of all the challenges he had with drugs, but I did not know of the extent that all (or most) of the victories were the result of speed and pain pills. SO, I will be on to my next book in a couple days, much more light reading, and book club is in a couple weeks. I will be going in to Austin tomorrow to pick up a prescription, and maybe I will find a couple other things to do while I am there... We shall see.

Volume 18 - Day 154/211, 2026 - Wednesday

I slept very nicely last night, and I was glad about that. My watch tells me that I slept OK, just ok, but I think I had a good nights sleep. Before bedtime, we had a surprise storm, mostly wind, some really good thunder and only 0.01" of rain. The wind blew a bunch of plants on the back patio over, and the terra cotta pot that the rubber tree was in broke into several pieces. Honestly, the wind was crazy, and it totally took me by surprise. The rubber tree is now inhabiting a brand new pot, so all is good. Paulina worked from home today, and she had never been to Dairy Queen before, and now she has! We both got a milk shake, and we were both happy with our choices. I have officially cancelled my trip to South Africa in September. I worried about it for several days, but with the health challenges in Africa (so far not where I would have been) and all the political crap going on everywhere, I just decided this was not the time to go. I still have time, I may be able to get somewhere before the end of the year, just not sure where. I expect I will make it to Playa a couple times at least, and I have a HUGE credit with American Airlines, since I had already booked my flights to Africa. Tomorrow I will take the girls to the beautiful, and I have signed up for another on-line class, so we will see if this one actually happens. 

Volume 18 - Day 153/212, 2026 - Tuesday

I did get a few things accomplished today. On the way to breakfast, I stopped at Home Depot and bought a new pot for some geraniums I bought the other day. I also got a hanging basket of purslane, and by taking the hanger off, it fits in to a wire chicken I have in the back. I got to breakfast a little bit early this morning, so I sat in the little white car and listened to the book I have downloaded. I have about an hour left, and as I was listening, I zoomed in on the photo that is accompanying this entry, an interesting view of the Williamson COunty Courthouse. The ROMEOs met for breakfast, and after that I stopped at Galaxy Bakery and got some scones, and then I stopped at Georgetown Donuts for a couple apple fritters. That should hold me for the rest of the week. I got the plants all planted and used the leaf blower to clean up both the front and back patios and the back deck. Everything is now ready just in case we get a little bit of rain overnight. I am still eating on the pizza I bought last week (or the week before?), and I will either eat it all before Thursday morning or it will find a new home in the trash can. There is a chance we will get a little bit of rain this evening, and there is a chance of rain every day in the upcoming forecast. 

Volume 18 - Day 152/213, 2026 - Monday

It seems I have turned Mondays into my weekends. I used to get household chores done over the weekends, but now I get them done on Mondays. I have better things to do on my weekends! Today, I moved the plumerias onto the driveway so they get more direct sun. The plumeria that I have had for (maybe) a decade (I think more, actually) did not bloom at all last year, and I bought three more small plumerias at HEB about a month ago. They are all out on the drive now, along with the jasmines that I have started from seeds. We will see how things go, I am 100% positive I will need to be more attentive to watering with them out in the full sun. It gets REALLY hot in central Texas. The girls got their monthly pills today, right on schedule! My week just keeps getting better and better, too. The virtual class I signed up for was cancelled, nothing I did, and a meeting on Wednesday has been cancelled as well. I have a LOT of nothing to do this week, and that totally works for me. 

Volume 18 - Day 151/214, 2026 - Sunday

I went to brunch this morning with Val, Paulina and Terry. Original Pancake House, can't beat it! I can't comprehend that Terry had never been there before, all the brunches we have had there, I thought for sure he had been there. Well, he has now! On the way home, we stopped at McIntyre's Nursery, a small nursery that has been there before any of the big boxes. I got a few more geraniums and a few vincas. I didn't really want vincas, but there is not a petunia to be had in central Texas. Then it was nap time. I went back to an estate sale I had been to yesterday, there were a couple things that I liked, and everything was 50% off, but I didn't buy anything. I was tempted to stop at HEB on the way home, but I didn't do that, either. I don't have a lot on my list for tomorrow, I am going to take a one-hour virtual class, and I will need to do watering outside. We are getting to summer, so that means more watering. I spend much of my time trying to figure out if I am going forward with my trip to Africa in September. It's the ebola thing. I have about ten days to make up my mind, I may change plans and go somewhere else, and maybe go to Africa next year. Or the year after. Whatever. Callie did not have a care in the world when I took this picture of her this evening. A sleeping dog is a happy dog. I am lucky to have two happy dogs. They are going to the beautiful parlor on Thursday, so they may not be too happy with that.

Volume 18 - Day 150/215, 2026 - Saturday

Judy and I went to SEVEN estate sales this morning, and I bought a few things at at least three of them, some of it at full price. Fabulous things, that are now accessorizing various rooms in the Curious House. I think I will be going back to one of the sales tomorrow, but that is yet to be seen. After the estate sales, it was time to go down for a nap, but that didn't work as I had planned. Later on, Mike texted me that the original La Cage aux Folles was coming on at 7 o'clock, our time. Perfect! I've seen it a couple times, but always worth seeing again. Val and Paulina come over to watch with me, and, I didn't know it, but it was subtitled. Okay with me, and we all enjoyed it. The girls have been out, and now I am getting ready for Some Like it Hot! This is one of the better tv nights, and I am enjoying it a lot. Before estate sales tomorrow, I am doing brunch, and I am ready for a pancake!

Volume 18 - Day 149/216, 2026 - Friday

It's that time of year again, the time when the sun rises and casts really nice shadows of old men taking a walk in the neighborhood. I spent most of the day staying out of the way of the electricians that were here (this was the third time) making some changes inside the Curious House. Not sure what my next project will be, but I expect there will be one, eventually. The girls stayed out of the way, too, and had a play day with Val and Paulina. Then, Val, Paulina and I went to dinner, and all three of us had fried catfish. A good dinner with good friends. The rest of the evening will be spent doing little of nothing, but there will be ice cream before the night ends. Tomorrow will be estate sales, there are seven, and I think it will be just me and Judy, everyone else has other plans or commitments. Hopefully, there will be lots of treasures that I am not aware that I even need, fingers crossed!

Volume 18 - Day 148/217, 2026 - Thursday

There was not a lot going on today, of course, the day started with a walk, and then I really can't think of anything I did. I am still eating pizza from the other night, and this afternoon, I took Oliver to the airport for his trip to visit his grandparents. On the way home, I stopped at HEB where they did indeed have cottage cheese and pulled chicken. I am adding a little of these two items to their morning and evening food, just to see if they like it. They had no problems with the cottage cheese tonight, and I have no doubt that they will turn their noses up at the chicken. I need to fill in some geraniums and petunias, and I looked at HEB but did not see what I wanted, so I think I will head to Home Depot after I finish this entry to see what I can find. I have electricians coming tomorrow, and I think they will be here for most of the day, so the supplemental geraniums and petunias will give me something to do.My Apple credit card arrived today, and as soon as they said it was delivered I headed off the to cluster box to make sure. I feel whole again, and I am not planning to use that card until the first of June...just because! I took this photo of Rocky this morning, and I am keeping my eyes open for Bullwinkle. Moose and Squirrel!

Volume 18 - Day 147/218, 2026 - Wednesday

If you like thunder, lightning and rain, you should have been in bed with me overnight! A fantastic light and sound show, and a good rain, too! I emptied 1.67" of rain out of the guage at the Curious House, and that puts us at 7.66" for the month of May. Pretty Damn Good! We have virtually no rain in the seven day forecast, but we are glad for what we have received, so far. It was 63 degrees outside when I got up this morning, and that was my cue to open the windows and get some fresh air in the house. I closed them at about 1 o'clock this afternoon, so that was great. Paulina was in charge of a blood drive at her office today, and they had 30 donations, and I think that is great! I went and got cracked this afternoon, and on the way home, I stopped at Aldi for cottage cheese and pulled chicken. They apparently do not sell cottage cheese, and the pulled chicken I could find was seasoned, and I did not want seasoned. The cottage cheese and the pulled chicken was for the girls, not me. I want to use that as a little bit extra to put on their morning and evening feedings. Tomorrow I expect I will go to HEB to see what I can find. I know they have cottage cheese! I don't have much else on my calendar for tomorrow, I will be taking Oliver to the airport at 3 o'clock, he will be going to visit his grandparents in Poland for a couple weeks. This deep red flower is in a (formerly) hanging basket that I have had for at least the last four years. I don't really remember ever seeing these deep red blooms, but I think they are really pretty.

Volume 18 - Day 146/219, 2026 - Tuesday

Just more evidence that I am fiscally out of touch with reality. I hav been craving pizza, and there was an ad for a (undisclosed) pizza place in a local coupon book. I went on line to see what I wanted to order, but decided I would run some errands and go to the pizza place in person to order the pizza. I was not in a hurry, so why not. I made a stop at the bank, got gas in the little white car, and then headed to the pizza place. I ordered two (yes, two) medium, thick crust pizzas and a 16 piece cheese bread thing. $60.53. OMG! As they were picking me up off the floor, they applied some coupons to the order, and it ended up being close to $40. Still...that seems high for what I ordered. I guess if I average it out, it would come out to about $8 a day (I think I can eat on this for five days), so maybe it was not as bad as I thought. Whatever. The tree trimmers came out this morning, even though they were an hour and fifteen minutes late. They did a good job, but (maybe) they lifted the canopy a little higher than I would have like, but again, they did a good job. Apple says they have mailed me ANOTHER card, so I don't expect I will be able to leave the house again until it arrives. 

Volume 18 - Day 145/220, 2026 - Monday MEMORIAL DAY

Overall, it has been a quiet Holiday here around the Curious House. We got no rain overnight (I am very disappointed), but we have had a little bit this afternoon, and it is still sprinkling a bit outside. All things considered, I am glad it is sprinkling OUTSIDE and not INSIDE. So far, 0.12", and no one will complain about that. The prognosticators are saying we could get another inch or two in the next couple days, so I have my fingers crossed. Paulina and I went in to Austin this morning to donate platelets, and we stopped at Upper Crust Bakery on the way. I brought home a couple cinnamon rolls and a piece of carrot cake. I am pretty sure Paulina did the same. It was a single platelet day for me and a double platelet day for Paulina. I don't want the rain to stop, but I hope it will not be a a deluge tomorrow morning, because the tree trimming people are supposed to be here at 9 to trim some dead limbs off the live oak in the back yard. It is kind of a conflict. The Apple Credit Card mystery has been solved. Apple said the card was delivered on last Thursday, I did not receive it. My mail comes to a cluster box, so I figured someone else had it in their box. I put a note on the mail box, so I cancelled THAT card on Saturday afternoon. This afternoon, one of the neighbors told me they put a package on my porch, and there was the card. SO, that card has been cancelled, now I am waiting on the NEXT Apple card to be delivered. Maybe one day this week. We shall see.

Volume 18 - Day 144/221, 2026 - Sunday

Today was a most excellent day. I started planting the ten cannas I bought last week, and eventually Paulina and val came over and took pity on me, and finished planting. I did not think I was doing that badly, actually, but if anyone volunteers to dig holes for me, I am all over that like a hobo on a ham sandwich. At about noon, Paulina, Val and I went to Walburg and had lunch at the German restaurant, and, as usual, that was great. After lunch, we headed off to the farm, and met up with my farm neighbors, Jim and Patsy. It was excellent to see them, and I should actually make an effort to go out and visit with them more often. I still have stuff in one of the storage buildings at the farm, and I have not looked inside that building in about five years. I am pretty sure that building has been 'looted' by someone, because some things I thought should have been there are not. My fault, I have not paid any attention in years, so there is nothing I can complain about. We took the long way home from the farm, stopped at Berry Springs Park and talked to the donkeys, and finally made it home. Again, it was a great day, and I have a piece of Black Forest Cake in the refrigerator. I should go to HEB this evening, but I may just wait until tomorrow, although tomorrow will be a platelet day. This photo is me, Jim, Patsy, Paulina and Val. A Great Day!

Volume 18 - Day 143/222, 2026 - Saturday

One of my defining judgements about people is whether or not I would go have a beer with them. There are even a few Rs I would not mind having a beer with and getting to know them better (okay, more than a few), and one of them is running for office this year. I think he is a good man, more moderate than many, but he refers to central Texas as 'the Austin swamp.' Well, that is offensive, so I may have to move him to the 'no beer for you' column. I cannot vote for him anyway, but I am stuck being bombarded with political commercials, whether I can vote for them or not. I did vote early for the run-offs, and I only had two things (peeps) to vote for. BUT...I ALWAYS vote. It was just me and Judy hitting the estate sales today. There were three sales, and they were underwhelming, to say the least. I did find two things that I needed, and Judy found two things as well, but there was still nothing really extraordinary about the sales. Nobody has fessed up to receiving my Apple Credit Card by mistake, so this afternoon, I called and told them that I did not receive the latest card. Now the replacement card has been cancelled, and they are sending me another replacement card. I expect someone will fess up and bring me the first replacement card any minute. Whatever. I even looked at the movies showing in Georgetown, and just did not see anything that I am excited about seeing. Tomorrow, I will go with the neighbors (Val, Paulina and Oliver) to the German Restaurant in Walburg for lunch. Always a worthwhile effort, and I may try to convince them to drive out to the farm. There is still one shed out there that I need to clean out...I think there may be some art work in the shed, but I am not sure. Maybe yes, maybe no. I planted this plum tree last fall, and it is knocking itself out with plums. I tried one a couple weeks ago, but it was not really ripe, and it was really sour. Not sure how to tell when they are ripe enough to eat.

Volume 18 - Day 142/223, 2026 - Friday

Since my post last night, we've received 1.35' of rain at the Curious House. Today started out cloudy, but the sun is out now, and it is a beautiful evening in central Texas. Yesterday, the tree people finally made it to the house and gave me a bid to remove some dead limbs from one of the oaks, and today the lighting guy came out and got everything fixed on the outside lights. The tree people just called and wanted to come out on Monday, but Monday is going to be a platelet day, so they will be here on Tuesday. It is not easy finding people that want to work around the house...tree people, lighting people...and I have an appointment with the electricians for next Friday to install some different lights inside the house. After that, I think I will be done with stuff I want done around the house. I still have to plant the cannas that I bought the other day, and I need to see if any of the tulips I planted are showing any signs of life. Let me go look. Nope, I don't see anything happening tulip wise...there is still plenty of time. Tomorrow will be estate sales, there are three sales, so it should not take too long, and I am expecting to come home with at least a couple treasures. I was awake for the start of The Late Show last night, but I fell asleep before it was over, so I expect I missed the best parts. I don't watch too much on CBS, but I am not taking a vow to boycott the channel, but I will take advantage of any opportunity I get to trash talk the channel. Photos from the farm have been popping up on my feed, and I occasionally miss the farm, but then I remember how much work it involved, and I am thankful for the Curious House. I am a lucky man!

Volume 18 - Day 141/224, 2026 - Thursday

We had a little bit of rain overnight, less than a tenth of an inch, but in the last hour or so, we got another 3/4 of an inch, and we are expecting more later this evening. Political advertisements are getting really disgusting here in the Lone Star State, and it makes me laugh. All the Rs are calling each other names, some of which I never even called them. I like their creative thinking. I just hung around the Curious House all day today, I did have an appointment this afternoon, so hopefully I will be able to get some tree trimming done in the near future. I was pretty excited that my Apple Card was to be delivered today, and the USPS Tracking site says it was delivered to a 'parcel locker,' but there was no key in my mail box. I left a note on the cluster box asking anyone that received my package, please let me know and I will come retrieve it. We shall see. I'll give it a day or so. The temperature has certainly dropped along with the drizzle, it is 68 degrees outside, and it feels very nice. I have a whole lot of nothing on the schedule for tomorrow, too, so I think the next several days will be pretty calm. I am NOT one of the millions of people that will be traveling over the coming Holiday, so I am happy for that. Estate sales will be the most stressful thing I attempt. As promised, the photo with this entry is me, Mace and Holly at Mace's congratulatory open house yesterday. I like the trellis effect...

Volume 18 - Day 140/225, 2026 - Wednesday

We got a pretty good rain last night, 1.70", and no one will complain about that. There were also some pretty strong winds, but there were no problems at the Curious House except for a lot of leaves fallen, and a few things blown over. Nothing terrible. We had a nice walk this morning, and after the walk, I did not have a lot of chores on my list, so I took advantage, and did a lot of nothing. Early afternoon, I had been invited to congratulate Mace on his graduation from high school. Should high school be capitalized? Not sure. Anyway, you may have heard me speak of Mace in the past; he founded a non-profit (No Hunger, Inc.) several years ago, and during the celebration this afternoon, he presented a check to the Central Texas Food Bank for $26,000. Mace is an amazing young man, and he has a very bright future ahead of him. He will be attending Tulane in the fall, so everything is looking good. Tonight was our neighbors dinner, and we all had a great time. We were pretty loud, but we had a great time! I enjoy meeting with the neighbors once a month, and already looking forward to next month. I have a couple appointments tomorrow and Friday, but nothing very strenuous. I will include a photo of me, Holly and Mace with my journal entry tomorrow.

Volume 18 - Day 139/226, 2026 - Tuesday

It dribbled a little bit overnight, 0.02", but that was enough for me to call a 'rain day' and not walk. It was a good decision, because I was taking mike to the airport for his 11 o'clock flight. We were about half way to the airport, when he got a notice that his flight had been cancelled. Instead of turning around, we went ahead, Mike was thinking they would get him on another flight pretty soon. SO...his 11 o'clock flight was turned into a 1 o'clock flight, and at last word, he was in Tampa and the airport there was shut down because of weather. I still think he will make it home before the end of the day, but you never know. Oliver and I went to Costco later this morning, and after that, I took a nap, then got up and got my hair cut. It is really short, but it is only hair, it will grow back. After that, I went to HEB and got a few things, and they have cannas for $5, and I think I will get back in the car pretty soon and go get some. I really like cannas, they grow tall and bloom a lot! Perfect for me. We are under a severe thunderstorm watch, so I expect some rain over night, but I have plenty of time for getting to HEB and back. no problemo. I did spy these yellow roses this morning, I really like yellow roses, and they were my fathers' favorite flower.

Volume 18 - Day 138/227, 2026 - Monday

Still no rain, but I expect we will have some before too much longer. Memorial Day is coming up this weekend, and central Texas is known for Memorial Day flooding. We may not have flooding this year, but I am expecting some decent rain totals, they are forecasting 3 to 5 inches of rain for the Georgetown area. Fingers crossed. I went and voted this morning, so the rest of you can just stay home, no big deal. Mike went with me, and after I voted (I was in and out in less than five minutes), we just wandered around for a while, then we got home, we each had a piece of leftover pizza, and then took a nap. We went to Salt Trader's tonight for dinner, me, Mike, Linda, Jimmie, Paulina and Oliver. Mike is flying back to Del Rey Beach tomorrow, and then it will be quiet and dull in the Curious House. With any luck, I have booked the group for the next House Concert in June, and that will be good, it is a Dixieland group, and they are a lot of fun. I already have the September and October groups found, so that is finished. After the expected rains, the high temperatures are supposed to go down to the 80s, and I am happy for the temperatures to be closer to normal; after all, it is still only May. 

Volume 18 - Day 137/228, 2026 - Sunday

It has been cloudy most of the day. I removed all the House Concert fliers from around the neighborhood before our morning walk. One set of fliers was already gone, so I am not sure if that was done by friend or foe. I don't think it matters, because we had a nice turnout for the concert last night, and that is a good thing. The post card I mailed from Vatican City in April was delivered yesterday and it took about a month to go from Italy to Georgetown. At least it got here! We are looking forward to getting some rain, maybe starting tonight, and the predictions are that we could receive between 3 and 5 inches of rain. That would be swell! I did not water plants today, in anticipation of the rain, so now watch, we will get nothing. We all went to dinner tonight at Garbo's, I had a cup of clam chowder and a fried shrimp plate, all very good. Dan and Nancy will be leaving early in the morning, WAY before I get up, I expect. Hopefully they will not have any bad weather for their drive back to Las Cruces. I am not sure what will be happening this week, but I expect it will be calm. It's pretty much guaranteed! The Lesser Finches are happy with their millet, and I am glad to see the occasional hummingbird at the feeders, as well.

Volume 18 - Day 136/229, 2026 - Saturday

The two estate sales we went to today were nothing to get excited about. I spent $2 on a plastic Statue Of Liberty bank that had five pennies in it. I was hoping the pennies were pretty old, but they weren't...they ranged from 1969 to 1977. After the estate sales, Mike and I went in to Georgetown to get some scones for the next few days, and then we stopped at Walgreen's to get Marge a birthday card. We got her a cute card, but then we forgot to give it to her. I'll give it to her tomorrow. Dan barbecued burgers this afternoon, and I had one patty, then I was back at the Curious House waiting on the band to arrive and get set up. Tonight was the first House Concert of the sixth season that I have been living here, and we had a pretty good turnout. I think everyone had a good time, and it is a great way for the neighbors to get together and have a good time. The weather was perfect for the evening, and there was a nice breeze, so that was great. Tomorrow, I am not sure what is on the calendar, but I know there will be a dinner (or late lunch?) in Austin, and that will be another good evening. 

Volume 18 - Day 135/230, 2026 - Friday

Not a lot going on today, we had a nice walk this morning, and James and Dan joined me and Paul and Richard. When we finished walking, Mike and I had some breakfast, and then it was down for after breakfast naps. We sat outside for a while after that, and the weather has been really nice for the last several days. Not particularly hot, kind of cloudy, and I think the humidity has been under control. I discovered that I have misplaced a credit card, and the last time I had it was at lunch yesterday. No one has tried to use it, and I cancelled the card and there is a replacement on the way. I really believe I will find it somewhere, but just in case... A group of us went to Dahlia's in Liberty Hill for dinner tonight, and that was good. I had meat loaf, mashed potatoes, gravy and spinach. There was a lot of food brought home, but I was a member of the clean plate club. I am looking forward to estate sales tomorrow, and then the first House Concert of the Year will be in the driveway tomorrow night. I am a lucky man!

Volume 18 - Day 134/231, 2026 - Thursday

Today was an extra good day! Dan and Nancy got here (okay, next door) yesterday, and Mike got here this morning. We all went in to Georgetown for lunch, and tonight we had pizza and pasta at Frankies. Tomorrow, I think we are going to Dahlia's for dinner, and Saturday is estate sales and the house concert. While we were at Frankie's, Albert came in for his pick-up order, and that was fun. Albert (and Amber and Evan), lives four doors down. It is warm for this time of year, in my opinion, and getting warmer. I have done most of the stuff in the yard that needs to be done, but I need to call a tree guy to come out and trim up the Live Oak in the back yard. It will all be okay. This looks like a short post, but it pretty much covers all the events of the day. More tomorrow

Volume 18 - Day 133/232, 2026 - Wednesday

It was a really busy day today, and it was almost like I am not really retired! Of course, I started with a walk with Richard and Paul, and then I started making phone calls to a few colleagues that had been named as references for another colleague. I only had five calls to make, I spoke with three of them and left messages for two. I got ready to head out to my 11 o'clock meeting, and I got to the meeting with two minutes to spare! After that, I had lunch with Holly and Eileen, and then I headed to the store where I bought some patio furniture several years ago. I was just curious (as in the house) as to the possibility of buying replacement cushions for the front patio couch. I would need three sets of cushions, $400 per set. Nope, I am good with what I still have. Then I headed to an orthopedic doctors office in Georgetown. I tried to make an appointment with that doctor by phone this morning, but I was told I could not see that doctor because I was already seeing another orthopedic doctor in that same broad medical group. In my opinion, I can make an appointment with any doctor I want to...but I did not lose that battle. Ugh. Then I headed to Leander to show a home, and then back to the Curious House. I put $68 worth of gas in the little white car, and that was surprising. Nancy and Dan are in town for the weekend...they lived three houses down from me when I first moved to the Curious House. Mike will arrive tomorrow, and then the party will be starting. Did I mention I bought a Venus Fly Trap a couple weeks ago? Not sure that it has ever caught a fly, but it is interesting to look at.

Volume 18 - Day 132/233, 2026 - Tuesday

It was cool enough when I got up this morning to open up the windows. Last night, as I do most nights, I turned up the air conditioner so it will not come on unless it gets REALLY warm. I think it was sixty when I got up, so I like having the windows open to get some fresh air in the Curious House. After our walk, I met Richard, Paul and Rick for our ROMEO breakfast, and then I stopped at Galaxy Bakery for some scones. When I got back, I decided to plant the tulip bulbs that I brought back from Amsterdam a couple weeks ago. I brought back 40 tulip bulbs, and the box includes a 'Plant Passport,' and a 'Certificate of Inspection,' so everything is kosher. The box also refers to the bulbs as 'A Typical Dutch Gift.' It also says that these bulbs are going to bloom in 4 to 6 weeks, but I have my doubts about that. I expect they will bloom next spring, but I have no idea. I think the tulip people may well be better informed about that than me. I had a zoom meeting this afternoon, scheduled for an hour-and-a-half, but we got our business done in 25 minutes. Sweet! Tomorrow, I will be going in to Austin for a meeting, then a lunch with Eileen and Holly, and then I will show a property for sale later in the afternoon. It's going to be a busy day!

Volume 18 - Day 131/234, 2026 - Monday

Well, the storms that were predicted did not happen. We had a little bit of wind, 0.6" of rain, and LOTS of thunder and lightning. I enjoyed that part, and I particularly enjoy the fact that the girls are not the least bit concerned about thunder and lightning. As I have said in the past, these are the only dogs I have ever had that are not afraid of storms. I walked with Richard and Paul this morning, and then I just hung out a little bit before I went in to Austin to donate platelets. Paulina had to go in to her office, so we met at the blood bank. The place was REALLY cold, and even though I have a blanket, I was so cold I was shaking. It was a double platelets day, so even though I was cold, I like doing it. We have already made our appointments for the next donation. On the way back to the Curious House, I was caught up in traffic, which is not a surprise for 4 o'clock traffic in central Texas. I had dinner with Jimmie and Linda, prime rib night in Georgetown. There are a couple things on the calendar for tomorrow, but it should all be kind of fun. I've worn my Ushuaia t-shirt for two days now, and nobody has made any remarks about it. Ugh.

Volume 18 - Day 130/235, 2026 - Sunday

I am set for photos to accompany this entry and at least the entry for tomorrow. We are looking for heavy storms overnight, beginning at about 9PM at the Curious House, and ending probably around 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning. By the time we are ready for our morning walk, there will be no signs of rain. I have put all the potted plants on the ground, and moved a few things here and there, to avoid problems with winds, forecast to be upwards of 60 miles per hour. Hopefully, the fact that I have prepared what I could, it will not be as bad as it could be. It has been a really lovely day in central Texas so far, the temperature peaked in the upper 80s, and part of the storms this evening will be the result of a cold front coming through. I did very little today, so far, and I don't really see that changing for the hours leading to tomorrow. Val and I did go to an estate sale, neither one of us bought anything. I have eaten lots of left-over food collected over the last week. There is plenty of open space in the refrigerator now, so I expect I will start collecting again this week. Tomorrow is going to be a platelet day, and Paulina and I will show up at the blood bank about 1 o'clock. Donating platelets always make me feel good, so I am looking forward to it! The photo accompanying this journal entry is what I paid $7.50 for at an estate sale yesterday. I just had to have it!

Volume 18 - Day 129/236, 2026 - Saturday

Still no rain. I turned the sprinklers back on, they ran this morning, they will run again this evening. They keep pushing the forecasted rain further and further out. No they are saying we could get rain late tomorrow evening. I'm not gonna take the chance, so I will water stuff again tonight. There were four estate sales today, kind of a good number for estate sales. The problem is/was, that the sales were really poor sales. I did finally buy something at the last sale, and spent a total of $7.50. I have to admit that really was a bargain. More later. Today is Oliver's birthday, he is now 19 years old, and we all went out to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. I really can't recall if I have ever been to a Cheesecake Factory before or not, but I would assume I have, I just can't remember where or when. That happens a lot these days. I turned the air conditioner on this morning, and I expect it will be on for the remainder of the season. That is why there is air conditioning in Texas...to use it. 

Volume 18 - Day 128/237, 2026 - Friday

I think this sunflower is very pretty. I saw it during our walk this morning, and it was NOT there yesterday, so it made a lot of effort to be beautiful this morning. Or maybe I was just not paying attention yesterday, but I don't think that is probable. As an admitted and authenticated coward, I think I did pretty well at the dentist office this morning. Granted, it was just for a cleaning and x-rays and six month check-up stuff, but just the thought of willingly going inside a dentists office makes me very anxious. But, it was mostly all without incident, and I was able to leave under my own power. As long as I had just visited the dentist and got a good report, I decided to stop at the donut shop on the way home. I have not eaten any of the donuts yet, but I know where they are when I get ready for them. Tomorrow there are four estate sales, and that is actually a pretty good number of sales to hit, so that will be fun. I think it has been at least three weeks since I went to an estate sale, so I am looking forward to it. I have the sprinklers turned on, they keep teasing us that we will get some rain, and now they (the prognosticators) have postponed any chance until Sunday. Sorry mothers. 

Volume 18 - Day 127/238, 2026 - Thursday

I am really glad that my watch reports not only the date, but also the day. I do, on occasion, can't remember exactly what day it is. Frequently, I think it is Friday and it is really Tuesday. I look forward to Fridays because I know I will be hitting estate sales on Saturday. It has been a grey and dull day in central Texas today, a little trace of rain now and then, but nothing to really take notice of. I spent most of the day watching television, and did a little of this and a little of that. Nothing exciting, but that is just fine with me. I planted Midnight Perfume Jasmine Seeds in five pots when I got back from my trip, and I am happy to announce that all five pots have sprouts (is that the right word?) coming up. They are supposed to be especially fragrant, so I hope that is true. We may know more in three or four weeks. I have a dentist appointment in the morning, my six month check-up. I am not a fan of dentist offices, but it will all be over soon...then I will be anxiety free for another six months.

Volume 18 - Day 126/239, 2026 - Wednesday

Today was our 'monthly huddle' at the office. I left the Curious House a little after nine, and I got to the meeting a couple minutes after 10. We hung around and talked and groused for a while, and then I took off back to the Curious House. I made a stop at Home Depot to buy a pretty good sized pot for three Plumerias I bought at HEB yesterday. A pink one, a yellow one and a pink and yellow one. I will get them transplanted tomorrow. Tonight was book club night, and we all had mixed comments about the book. Under the Whispering Door. It was kind of an interesting book, in my opinion kind of about purgatory. Hard to say. I am likely not a big thinker, and I expect a lot of the book was totally lost on me. Some people thought parts of the book were funny, kind of comedic, that thought never entered my thought process. I have picked out my next book, in between book club books; The Book of Harlan. It sounds pretty interesting, take a look at the overviews on line if you think about it, it sounds just like the kind of book I like. Margie and Richard and Rick rode with me to book club, and it is pretty close to being my bed time. It was a nice day today, it was warm when we walked this morning, and the temperature has gone down consistently throughout the day. It was about 63 degrees late this afternoon, a nice spring day, but overcast. Hoping for sunshine tomorrow. Diane is not in the picture, since she was taking the picture.

Volume 18 - Day 125/240, 2026 - Tuesday

Warm and humid today, the air conditioner has been going most of the day. After our walk, we met up for our regular ROMEO breakfast. I opted for pancakes and eggs, and that was more than enough. On the way back to the Curious House, I stopped at Galaxy Bakery and got breakfast scones for me and Val and Paulina. Then, it was off to Home Depot to buy a couple shepherd's crooks to hold up a couple limbs on the new plum tree. That little tree is showing off with lots of little plums on it. I asked a nursery man if I needed to cull some of the plums, he said no, so I am propping up a couple limbs. Then, I made a stop at HEB and got a few things, but forgot distilled water. I am now the proud owner of a Venus Fly Trap, and I need to water it with distilled water. I left the Curious House after 5 this evening to go in to Austin for a PAC function...Cinco de Mayo style. It was fun and I got to see lots of friends and colleagues that I have not seen for a while. Food was good, too. On the way home, I stopped at a different HEB, and got the distilled water, so I am all good. PHOTO: Dale, me, Holly and Taylor at the PAC event.

Volume 18 - Day 124/241, 2026 - Monday

I am pretty well set for ice cream for the near future. Gina picked me up this morning and we went to Trader Joe's in Austin. I actually bought a few things outside of just ice cream, so that was a good trip. Once I got home, I did a few things, but concentrated mostly on taking a nap. I fertilized the five trees that were installed and/or transplanted last week, and watered them pretty well. I brought back 40 tulip bulbs from Amsterdam, and I need to get those in the ground in the next day or two. I have been pondering exactly where to plant them, and I think I have figured it out. I have some space in the front beds, so I think I will cram them in there. If they make it, it should make a nice display next spring. James and Richard and Paul and I went out for dinner tonight, and that was fun. I brought enough food home to last for at least one more dinner and probably a lunch, too. Tomorrow, the only thing I have on the list is to have breakfast with the other ROMEOs, which is our usual Tuesday morning thing. Tomorrow evening, I will head in to Austin for a Cinco de Mayo event, and I may actually be out after dark tomorrow! The photo accompanying this entry was taken on our way to Belfast a couple weeks ago. Apparently, thieves are working the cemetery we visited on the way. You can never be too careful!

Volume 18 - Day 123/242, 2026 - Sunday

Meet Bryon, soon to be the second most famous Bryon in the United States. Not sure exactly where in Italy I met Bryon (and parents and siblings), but I was immediately drawn to the entire family. Although small in size, Bryon is very large in presence, as only a true stand-out personality can be. He is kind of shy, but once you get to know him, he will tell you the whole story. I actually vacuumed my bedroom and the bath today, and did laundry and domestic stuff like that. I had a devil of a time getting the bed spread to spin properly in the washer, but finally I did, and the bed is all made up again, and ready for many nights sleep. It was another beautiful day in central Texas, and the temperature got up to the high 70s, but the humidity is very low. I have the windows open, and the air conditioner has been turned off for the last four or five days. There are a few things on the calendar this week, and I will be going in to Austin three of the five days. Tomorrow, I will be visiting Trader Joe's with Gina, to get some desperately needed supplies. Ice cream. Then, a couple other things through the week, nothing that could cause any stress, I hope.

Volume 18 - Day 122/243, 2026 - Saturday

Today (as I predicted) was a beautiful day in central Texas. Right now, it is sunny and about 71 degrees. When I got up this morning, and did the walk with Richard, Paul and James, it was 48 degrees. When I made it to the blood drive, it was a little bit warmer, and I had on a light jacket. The blood drive was very good, we had 27 donors show up, and we have 25 qualified to donate. That was better than the blood banks' goal (23) and a little bit short of my goal (30). BUT...I think we are on a good track for doing this on a quarterly basis, and I came home with some cookies. Today was our third blood drive, and I think everyone is happy with the results. After the blood drive, I came home and napped for a little while, and just within the last hour, Paulina is home from Poland. She was on the same flight today that I was on a week ago today. She has already started unpacking, and half of her suitcase was stuff I bought. The plan, the whole time, was that her checked bag to be mostly empty on the way over, and very full on the way back. It worked! I don't have a lot on my chore list for the next week, and I will not be complaining about that at all. 

Volume 18 - Day 121/244, 2026 - Friday

I'm feeling pressured to vacuum the Curious House, and it is pretty intense. Silly people tell me I can choose to clean one room at a time, and I assume that is something that people less compulsive than me are capable of doing, although I may give it a 'go' at some time in the near future. I bought a few cleaning supplies last week, but I can't really remember where I put them. Likely in some logical 'cleaning type' of a place. Here is something that I bet you have never experienced. Earlier this week, I bought some scones for breakfast, and I had the last one for breakfast this morning. I put it in the microwave for two rounds of 15 seconds each, and retired to the office to do stuff. As I was almost finished, a house fly crawled out from under the scone. Apparently, I had microwaved the fly along with the scone, and I am surprised that the thirty seconds of microwaving did not cause the fly to expire, but the kleenex crush did the trick. Worst case, I expect house flies are mostly protein, so... It did rain off and on all day long today, so I did nothing at all, and only went outside to take the girls out. Gina called me to see if I was at home, and brought me some homemade chicken noodle soup. I have already eaten about half of it, so I have to other half to look forward to in the next couple days. It's delish! I think the rain is over for the next couple of days at least, and tomorrow is our neighborhood blood drive, so I will hang out there for most of the morning. Everything has really benefitted from the rains, and we at the Curious House have received a little less than two inches in the last couple days. No complaints!

Volume 18 - Day 120/245, 2026 - Thursday

We finally did get some rain, but not until this afternoon. It was a platelets day, and I donated double platelets today, and I left the blood bank at about 2PM. I am not in the least ashamed of the fact that I drive like a little old lady when it is raining outside, and the ride home proved that point. It rained 'cats and dogs (see the earlier post about how that phrase originated)' and I am always surprised to see other drivers acting like it is just another day in central Texas. The generally accepted speed on MoPac this afternoon was close to 40 mph, and rain water was flooding the lower parts of the roads. Carefully, I made it back to the Curious House, and so far, my gauge records about 0.27" of the wet stuff. We are expecting more overnight, and tomorrow is supposed to be really wet. I have nothing on the chore list except a note to give the girls their pills, so I think it might be a good day for being lazy. The temperature did not get out of the 60s today, and that is just a little bit lower than it should be this time of year. I started reading a new book today, Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klume. It is our book club book, and one of the book club members said he was not particularly fond of the book, so I was prepared not to like it...BUT NO! I am about a third of the way in to the book, and I am finding it pretty interesting...if you like books about ghosts.

Volume 18 - Day 119/246, 2026 - Wednesday

We had a 'trace' of rain so far today, but there is more expected overnight and for the next couple of days. The only thing I had on my list to get accomplished today was an appointment this afternoon, and so I spent the morning doing a couple things around the house. It was not a typical day, very cloudy and overcast, not the kind of day that is conducive to feeling perky. I did get the grape vines removed from the front bed, and over the weekend I will work on taking control of the morning glories in the back. Tonight was the neighbors dinner, and it was fun. There were ten of us, and we met at a pizza place in Georgetown. Everyone swears by the meat balls, but I had calamari and pizza. I have enough left over for at least two more meals. I am not counting on a walk in the morning, it may be raining, according to the radar forecast. I do have a couple appointments in Austin tomorrow, so I will do my best to avoid the rain. 

Volume 18 - Day 118/247, 2026 - Tuesday

I'm having a hard time not being tired. I am getting plenty of sleep, I just feel tired. I think it is just from the last couple weeks of traveling, but I don't like it. I did do a few things today; I went to the ROMEO breakfast, went to HEB on the way home (I needed some dog food and ice cream), came home and watered new plants, put some rings around the three new trees to keep the mulch from washing out (I hope), planted some seeds in three pots, repotted the sweet potato vine I was given last year, and went to the Neighbors dinner place to confirm our reservations for tomorrow night. In between things, I took a nap for about an hour. I don't have a lot on the list of things to get done for tomorrow, but I am pretty sure I will find something to do to pass the time. Since I am all stocked up with ice cream now, I am relatively confident that there will be some ice cream for me in the near future. It's a hard life!

Volume 18 - Day 117/248, 2026 - Monday

Contrary to what my watch reports, I think I had a pretty good nights sleep last night. My watch says had a low 'sleep score' of 59, and that I should try to get to bed at the proper time this evening, to increase my score. Whatever. As usual (usual for being at the Curious House), I walked with Richard and Paul, and when I got home, I did more catching up. I am pretty close to being caught up, and as usual, I am putting some stuff off to another day. I had to ask James to help me get my printer going this morning, and it was kind of fascinating to hear him interact with AI about how to get the printer and computer to work together. One thing about the AI person, he talks WAY TOO FAST for me to follow the commands, but James was in his comfort zone, and everything is working as intended now. The landscape folks were here at about 9 o'clock, and they got everything done by about 1 o'clock. I did go to Home Depot while they were here, and I brought back some mulch for the flower beds. I also got some new light bulbs for the kitchen; nothing is easy anymore. There are no more incandescent bulbs, so what I got are LED bulbs, and you can set them between 75 and 110 watts, and you can decide what color light you would like. I set these to 75 watts, and they are all set for 'daylight,' and I am very happy with the result. Now I can see what I am doing in the kitchen. I noticed the first morning glory blossom of the season, so I hope you enjoy it.

Volume 18 - Day 116/249, 2026 - Sunday

I hope I am just a victim of jet-lag, because I really do not feel good. I just got up from a nap to take the girls out, and post this entry. My sinuses are providing me no respect at all, and I am not all that in favor of blowing my nose every twenty minutes. I am actually exaggerating, I am blowing my nose every 15 minutes. I did manage to get quite a few things accomplished today; I cleaned and refilled the hummingbird feeders, filled up the dog water bowl in the front of the house, updated the letter board, wound and set the clocks that I stopped before my trip, bought a mop (that was not easy), and Val and I went to Farmer's Nursery in Leander on a quest for two peach trees. I realize that I am being compulsive abut the peach trees, but I would really like a couple producing peach trees. I found two very healthy looking trees, and the man at the nursery said it would take five or six years for them to be the size of the trees in the photo accompanying this entry. I would have thought it would take much longer than that. I expect I still have five or six years in me, so I got them. Tomorrow, the landscapers are expected to work on the front and back beds, so I will have them plant the two trees, and transplant three other trees I have. I also need to go in to Austin to pick up prescriptions, and check a few other things off my list. AND, I hope I feel better tomorrow.

Volume 18 - Day 115/250, 2026 - Saturday

I am back in Texas after my 17 day trip with and without Paulina. I think we went our separate ways on Tuesday, or maybe Wednesday. Paulina went to Berlin for work, and then to Poland to visit her family. I went to Munich to visit Lisa and Hanna that I met when I went to Antarctica. I had a great time visiting with them and seeing lots of the sites in Munich, and yesterday, I took the train from Munich to Berlin. Today, I flew from Berlin to Amsterdam, and then from Amsterdam to Austin. In the Amsterdam airport, I bought some tulip bulbs, certified safe, and now I need to decide what to do with them. They are legal to bring in to the U.S., and I declared them, and there was no issue. I think it is interesting that security staff will freak out if you have a pocket knife when you are boarding a plane, but the airline will give you a very nice knife (not a pocket knife) with your meal. I just think that is interesting. I am making a list of all the things I need to get accomplished tomorrow, as I think it will be a busy Sunday. Right now, my body thinks it is 3AM, but I am going to stay awake until my usual Georgetown time of 9:15 before I go to bed. We will see.