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!