Volume 18 - Day 228/137, 2026 - Sunday

Well, the Piglet is not going to be happy abut this. She still has the bandage (kleenex and tape) on her right front foot that VPO fashioned for her yesterday, and I pretty comfortable saying that there has been no more bleeding since yesterday. I will be dropping her off at the vet tomorrow morning at 8:30, and the part she will not like most is that she cannot have breakfast in the morning. I expect the vet will remove the toe nail that is just barely hanging on, but I will know more tomorrow. VP and I went to another estate sale this morning in Liberty Hill. That is not my usual hunting ground, but one of the women I like very much that does estate sales, told us about it last week, so we thought we would give it a shot. We all bought a few things, and that was good. Then it was time for a nap, and I took off for HEB at about 1:30, but before that, I stopped at Paris Baguette (a franchise) that opened last week. I have been to another location in Austin, but the one that opened here in Georgetown was overwhelming. Lots of interesting looking culinary delights, but I didn't buy anything. Again, I was just overwhelmed and decided I would go back during the week when it may not be quite so crowded. Val made goulash so I went next door for dinner, and after that, PO went to Paris Baguette and brought me a couple treats. That will keep me busy for a couple days, anyway.

Volume 18 - Day 227/138, 2026 - Saturday

Well, today turned out to be an interesting day, and kind of out of the ordinary for some parts of it. Of course it started with a nice walk. My knew is not pain free, but the pain is a different kind of pain, so not sure what to think. I looked up the particular injection that I had yesterday, and it said I should expect tremendous relief 'several weeks after the fifth injection.' Well, that means I have a little bit over a month to go. We shall see. Marian, Paulina, Judy and I went to two estate sales, they were not great, but everybody bought something. I spent about $30, I bought a couple odd pieces AND a couple (maybe three) sets of white towels. Bath towels, hand towels and wash cloths. I bought towels a while back, allegedly 'very absorbent' but not really. I could not get dry with those towels. The towels I got today, that Paulina took and washed and dried already, and (hopefully) are hopefully very absorbent. Val is a self proclaimed towel expert, and he tells me they are very good, high quality towels. Yippee! After the estate sale, we decided to go to Temple for lunch. At Buc-ee's. Paulina was on a quest to get an A&M t-shirt for herself, and they had just gone on sale. I had a brisket sandwich for lunch (there is no place to sit inside Buc-ee's, so we sat in the jeep). Really, honestly, going to Buc-ee's was just a cover for the real purpose, which was to go to GoGo's Treatery. We love that place. They have the best FrYo and pastries, cakes, cupcakes, etc. Absolutely the best. We made it home, no longer hungry, and it was time for a nap. Later in the afternoon, Val brought the freshly washed towels over, and when he left, the Piglet decided to leave a trail of blood from the front door to the bedroom. Val, Paulina and Oliver came over and got the Piglet's front right paw wrapped and got the bleeding stopped. Apparently, she chewed one of the nails on that pay practically off, and it is just hanging, hardly attached. There was blood EVERYWHERE. I have requested an appointment with the vet for Monday morning, we will see if that can be done. Time to call it a day!

Volume 18 - Day 226/139, 2026 - Friday

Inside this blue bundle awaits the miracle injection(s) I have been waiting for for a while. GenVisc (Sodium Hyaluronate 25 mg) 850. Five injection regimen. I was expecting one shot and done, and I was surprised when the doctor told me 'the insurance company said you need five injections.' I am surprised that the insurance company knows anything about what I need, but who am I to question the medical/insurance professions. Not like I have been trying to get these injections for a while now, so I am not going to protest anything. So, right now I have a bit of pain in my knee, but it is a different pain than what I ws experiencing this morning. That might go away tomorrow, fingers crossed. SO...my appointment for the shot was at 10:20 this morning, and it is/was forty miles from the Curious House. I made it with no real issues, and I left that office at about 10:45. I had a one o'clock appointment by Mansfield Dam (Lake Travis), so I stalled, and drove up and down 620 for about an hour-and-a-half. I got to the appointment at about 12:35, and the client was up at the road, so there was no way for me to hide. It all worked out, and that appointment lasted a couple hours, and I got back to the Curious House  little after four o'clock this afternoon. I went to dinner with Jimmie and Linda, and when I got home, Paulina came over to chat for just a few minutes. I will be heading to the bedroom to pile up in the big chair with two small dogs in just about ten minutes. I am ready to call this day finished. 

Volume 18 - Day 225/140, 2026 - Thursday

The photo accompanying this entry is (possibly) what it looks like to be kind of bored at a neighborhood HOA meeting. There are 441 (some say 440) homes in our subdivision, and owners of twelve homes were represented at the meeting, not including the two Board members in attendance. Whatever. I said what I said, and did not insult anyone in the process. I must be losing my touch. Whatever (again). Today was a platelet day, and Marian and I went to donate, and walked out of the blood bank with a pint of Blue Bell ice cream. I chose Black Raspberry Fudge flavor, and I had never seen that flavor before, but I am told it is really good. I will let you know. Donating platelets is something I really like to do, so I get to visit with all those folks every two weeks or so. I get to trade interesting book reviews with Kristen at the front desk, and she and I like the same kinds of books. I have two appointments tomorrow, the first one at 10:20 in the morning, to hopefully get a shot in my knee, and the other one around Mansfield Dam at 1PM. I am going to need something to do between appointments, but I will figure something out. 

Volume 18 - Day 224/141, 2026 - Wednesday

Oh well, I tried to put these photos next to each other, but apparently I am not smart enough to do that. Thirteen years ago today, Joel W Rudd and I were officially married by a Republican Justice of the Peace in Glastonbury, Connecticut. I think these photos were taken the evening before, but I am not sure. We were at the Bed & Breakfast where we stayed, and we were all having a wonderful time. This is not all the friends we were surrounded by, but it is a good representation. Melody worked very hard to put this on for us, especially since it was just a few days after her birthday. I am a very lucky man! I had a quick zoom meeting this morning, and then I went to the VW collision place to have the badge replaced on the back hatch of the Buzz. It was touch-and-go as to whether they were going to break this one, but they were careful, and there is no longer a hole in the back of the Buzz. Tomorrow will be a platelet day, Marian and I will be going, and of course we will be making a stop at Upper Crust, just to make sure we are not deprived of anything we might find there. And tomorrow evening, there is a Board of Directors meeting of the HOA, and that will be interesting. I am looking very forward to attending that meeting. YIPPEE!

Volume 18 - Day 223/142, 2026 - Tuesday

OMG, I am a tired old man right now. Well, I forgot to self-medicate last night, and I didn't realize that until it was too late. I slept very poorly, although I know I slept a little bit. I got out of bed at five, and I already knew I was not walking this morning or going to the ROMEO breakfast. I had an appointment in Austin at 8:15 this morning, and I got home from that appointment at about 2 o'clock this afternoon. The good part is, we got our work done in the meeting, and I believe we did some really good work. I have a zoom meeting tomorrow at 11AM, and that is very civilized! The girls were a little bit confused this morning, because my schedule changes affected them as well. But, it is all done now, and life as we know it at the Curious House will get back to normal in the next several hours. Paulina and Oliver are back from Las Cruces, and they came over and visited for a little while. I think they too are tired, it's a long drive back to Georgetown. All is good. I left the Curious House this morning at 7AM, since you never know what traffic will be like at any time of the day. The clouds were really interesting, so I thought I would share it with you.

Volume 18 - Day 222/143, 2026 - Monday

In the very early evenings of the last several days, I have had notifications on my phone: Lightning has been detected in your area. No. It hasn't. Not in my area, although I am not sure how they define 'my area.' But also, if there is lightning, you would think there would be a drop or two of rain. Nope. Just really warm (hot) days and really high humidity. Ugh. I will continue to complain about this for another seven or eight weeks, so just sit down and be quiet. Today is Melody's birthday and it was fun to talk briefly with her and Bruce. I think they are all heading out for dinner later tonight. Melody is who planned Jody's and my wedding back in 2013. I went in to Austin this afternoon and had a late lunch with Jetta and Julie, always a lot of fun, we talked and trashed people, and laughed and had a good time. There was not much else that needed to be done after lunch, but I did break down and made a stop at HEB. I filled the little white car up with gas, and bought a few things inside the grocery. I expect I will make another stop at HEB later this week, since I am kind of close to running out of ice cream, and if you know me, you know I cannot let that happen! No walk or ROMEO breakfast for me tomorrow, I have an early appointment in Austin tomorrow, so I will be leaving the Curious House at about 7 or 7:15 in the morning.

Volume 18 - Day 221/144, 2026 - Sunday

My friend Deb is visiting from Vancouver, WA...okay, she WAS visiting...she got here on Friday evening and right now she is on a plane heading home...but that is just a detail. I'll start over...my friend Deb was visiting from Vancouver, WA, and she had lunch with another couple friends in the neighborhood, Mike and Judy. I was asked to attend and I did, and it was a LOT of fun. We laughed and talked and caught up with lots of stuff, and the lunch was delicious. After lunch, I had planned to go to Target and HEB. On the way to Target, I talked myself in and out of going to either one of them at least four times, and Target is not that far from the Curious House. I did make it to Target, but I decided I could go to HEB tomorrow or the next day. We shall see. Otherwise, it was a very nice Sunday that was unhurried and untroubled. During my visit with Deb, Mike and Judy, I discovered my next book (before I start the September book club book); The Calamity Club, by Kathryn Stockett that also wrote The Help. Deb said she laughed out loud a lot while reading the book, and that is what I am looking forward to. However...it is a 29 hour listen on Audible, so I expect I need to start listening pretty quickly. Tomorrow I am having lunch with Jetta and Julie, and on Tuesday, I have an early morning meeting in Austin. That is as far as I have looked on my calendar, and...there is always tomorrow. Or Tuesday! The photo is me, Deb, Judy and Mike.

Volume 18 - Day 220/145, 2026 - Saturday

Well, there was no need for me to chop and pull the morning glory vines out of the trees behind the rock wall today. Oliver, 19 year old monkey person that he is, climbed up the wall (no ladder needed) and cut the vines and pulled them out of the tree. This is an annual chore, and I appreciate Oliver doing it. He said he was helping, but he did it all, I did nothing but watch. There were five estate sales for me, Judy, Marian and Diane to visit this morning. I spent about $35 on stuff that I really needed, and I think Val and I will go to a couple tomorrow. Paulina and Oliver are in Las Cruces right now, so Val and I went to Taylor and had catfish for dinner at Lucky Duck's. I have been having a craving, and that is taken care of for a month or two now. The most recent lawn folks cut the grass today, and so far, so good. It is not easy to find good grass cutters these days; first world problems. I am getting itchy to get on a train, so I think, if all goes well with the knee injection next week, I may plan something. I am thinking a seven day trip, maybe. I will have to see what I can come up with.

Volume 18 - Day 219/146, 2026 - Friday

Well, that was disappointing. I made an appointment with a pain relief doctor, hoping to get a viscosupplementation injection in my knee, but NO! They have to submit it to my insurance companies (Medicare is one) to approve the fee. The office for this pain group is $) miles from the Curious House, one way. I feel like I have been driving for most of the day. I am not in constant pain, I just want to have the gel injection to SEE if it will lessen the bone-on-bone challenge I am experiencing. The steroid shots worked the first time, but after that, nothing. I was prescribed a pain drug, which I do not expect to use, I don't want to use, but I guess they know better than me. Whatever. The pills are in my medicine cabinet if you want them. Other than that...Oliver brought me a burrito (I think) that was really good, he is quite accomplished at burrito making! I did a few things around the Curious House, and there are five estate sales tomorrow, that will be fun! Me and the girls (real girls!). I also expect that I will go chop down some morning glory vines that are growing up in one of the trees on the other side of the rock wall. I do that every year, nothing terrible. I have no idea what the police, fire and ambulance was doing on 38th Street this afternoon, but that is not unusual, either. Always something going on that I can't figure out.

Volume 18 - Day 218/147, 2026 - Thursday

The photo accompanying this entry showed up on my phone the other day, and it reminds me of just another day at the farm. Every now and then, a snake, I think this is just a rat snake, would show up in the chicken coop, and I would need to relocate it. Relocation meant either taking it across the road or putting it in a drainage ditch across and down the road. Only one time did I kill a snake, because it ate one of the nest eggs. The fact that it had swallowed the nest egg meant it was going to die anyway, and I wanted my nest egg back. Enough of that. I took the girls to the beautiful parlor this morning, and they were ready to be picked up about three hours later. In the mean time, I did a few things around the Curious House, nothing of any real consequence. In late morning, Oliver asked me if I wanted to go to dinner with him, and so we did. We went to Gold's Burger in Georgetown, and I had liver and onions. As I recall, that is about the only place I go that offers liver and onions, so I was happy with that. My doctor appointment tomorrow is 40 miles away from the Curious House, so I am planning on it taking me at least an hour-and-fifteen-minutes to get there. The appointment is at 12:45, maybe 1, and the pre-appointment paperwork took me 30 minutes to complete this morning. Unbelievable. We shall see if I get a gel injection in my knee that will take the discomfort away. Fingers crossed. 

Volume 18 - Day 217/148, 2026 - Wednesday

The fact that the 'normal' traffic lanes are moving more quickly than the toll lanes is not an uncommon happening in central Texas. I took a photo of the stopped traffic in the toll lane this morning on my way in to Austin, and a guy in a black truck (I have a photo of his license if you want it) went through the barriers and into the regular lanes. I displayed my displeasure with him by blowing the horn on the Buzz, and he displayed his displeasure with my by showing me his teeth. Not really, but we played tag for a couple miles, and then he exited. Idiot. One of us, not completely sure which one. BUT, the reason for the back-up was this car (see photo) in the toll lane that apparently caught fire and burned. Not sure how that happened, but it did. I made it to my meeting with time to spare, then I picked up prescriptions and made a stop at Upper Crust. While I was out, I stopped at the VW collision place, where yesterday they told me the replacement of the VW badge (the one they broke when they repaired the earlier damage) would only take 15 minutes. They were correct, it only took them 12 minutes to break the replacement badge, and now the back end of the Buzz is 'badgeless,' and I guess they will let me know when they have another one that they can break. Whatever. Since I put the chandeliers throughout the Curious House, I have been unhappy with the can spots in the kitchen. They WERE daylight colored, and I wanted a warmer light, something to go with the warmer color of the chandelier lights. SO, this morning, before I left for Austin, I climbed up on the kitchen counter and removed one of the spots to take to Home Depot to see if I could find a warmer white bulb to replace them. What I found out is, the light I took with me has about five different color settings, and all I needed to do was change the toggle on the bulb, and they all match the warm color of the chandeliers. Several trips up and down the ladder to change the setting on the four spots, and now i am happy.  

Volume 18 - Day 216/149, 2026 - Tuesday

After the walk this morning, I chilled out for a little while before I got cleaned up and made it to our ROMEO breakfast. On the way, I stopped and picked up Bob, who we all hope will join us regularly. So, it was me, Paul, Rick and Bob. A good group, but I ordered way too big of a breakfast, so I brought biscuits home with me. After we left breakfast, we stopped at Galaxy Bakery and I brought two scones home with me, so I am covered for the next couple of breakfasts. Once we were getting ready to turn on to the Parkway, we saw that the traffic signal was flashing, so we are getting closer to having a signal to make left turns much easier. They are scheduled to be operating as signals a week from today. That is progress for sure, and the whole neighborhood is buzzing about it. That was about all I did for the day, until this evening; it was book club night, and we all had a great time. This months book was The Other Bennett Sister, and I think everyone enjoyed the book. It was an 18 hour listen, so it was a lengthy book. Next months book is Beyond the Wild River, a historical novel set in the 1890's. I just had to look that information up, because I had no idea what the book was about. It sounds interesting! Tomorrow, I will go in to Austin, and I have two things to get done while I am there, and I will make a stop at the VW place on the way home, they called today and they have received the VW replacement badge for the one they broke while it was in their shop. It is supposed to be only a 15 minute deal, so I will report that tomorrow. In the photo of the book club peeps, Marian is holding Richard and Marge, who joined remotely! Much fun!

Volume 18 - Day 215/150, 2026 - Monday

After the walk this morning, the only times I left the Curious House was to take the girls outside and to check the mail. I walked to the mail boxes at 4:20, and the mail had not yet been delivered. I will go back to check again tonight after 8 o'clock. Ugh. Since I am feeling pretty accomplished about the back-up battery, let me tell you about that task. To remove the old battery, I had to unscrew one screw and remove one little panel. The old battery came right out, so not a big deal. To REPLACE a new battery, I had to unscrew four more screws and take the entire face thing off the opener, and by doing that, I could put the new battery in. It was not the actual unscrewing that I am so proud of, but the fact that I found a different way of skinning that garage door opener cat. Good for the old guy! Tomorrow will be the ROMEO breakfast, and Wednesday I will be going in to Austin. Marian helped me figure out how to order quilts made out of all the t-shirts I have, so I will be going through t-shirts and cutting them apart for (probably) the next week or so. After that, I should have lots of room in the closets for NEW t-shirts. I will be sending 92 t-shirts to be made into two quilts, so that should fre up a little bit of space!

Volume 18 - Day 214/151, 2026 - Sunday

Today was a most excellent day, even though I did very little of anything productive or anything that will be remembered five or six days from now. James and Oliver walked with me and Paul this morning, and that was nice. After the walk, I fed the girls and washed my face and hair and went off to brunch with Alisha and Reuben. Very nice, fun, great to see them, and our brunching on Sundays has seemingly gone by the wayside. Sad. After brunch, I went to two more places to try and find a back-up battery for the garage door opener. No luck. I studied the situation and found a way to make the batteries I had work, and I will share more of that in my post tomorrow. Here is something interesting or unsettling, depending on your personal ideas. For me, it is a really happy note. I took a nap this afternoon, and the nap lasted less than an hour. In the dream, one of the dogs I had when I was a kid, ran away, and I was searching for Brandy. Brandy never came back, but I found another dog with really big ears, and named him (or her) Bullwinkle. Jody was also in the dream, and he and I both welcomed Bullwinkle into the family. It has been a while since I dreamed about Jody, and this was a good dream. It is not really that often that I remember dreams as clearly as this, but I thought I would share it with you. After I rousted myself up from the nap, I took off to Domino's Pizza, since today was the last day of their 50% off sale. When I got in the car, Dvorak's New World Symphony was playing, and I cranked it up pretty loudly. I have always liked this symphony, and I can remember very clearly playing this symphony when I was in High School Band. My High School did not have an orchestra (no strings) but we did have a band, and I played trombone. The trombones were an important part of this symphony, and I can remember very clearly where I sat in the band room, and really enjoying playing that music. OMG, I think this was a most excellent day, I hope I don't mess it up, there are still several hours to go.

Volume 18 - Day 213/152, 2026 - Saturday

The two estate sales this morning were not that exciting, but I got one thing for me (a framed print) and three Starbucks Cups (the older ones) for Paulina. After the sales, I went to Costco and HEB and so I have checked those things off my list. I am almost finished with the book for this month, The Other Bennett Sister, and on Audible that listen was 18 hours. I liked the book, but I think it could have been abbreviated. I have about an hour-and-a-half left, so I will finish that off tomorrow and be ready for book club on Tuesday. The saga of the garage door back-up battery is on-going. Tomorrow I will go to Home Depot to see if I can find the correct battery. According to everything Google and Interweb, I have bought the correct batteries THREE times, but they will not fit where the old battery came out of. It is really frustrating. We all went to dinner tonight at Dahlia's, in the photo accompanying this entry, clockwise from bottom left it is Val, Oliver, Paulina, Mandy, Clark, Clark's daughter (sorry about the name) and me. Most excellent, as always, and most of us brought dessert home. Yummy! 

Volume 18 - Day 212/153, 2026 - Friday

I think it is interesting how I can NOT do things that I had intended to do, with very little encouragement. I had intended to go to HEB today, but on my way back to the Curious House from Austin, I decided I did not feel like going to HEB. I could put it off for another couple days, but now my intention is to do some grocery shopping tomorrow. I picked up prescriptions this morning at the pharmacy, and stopped at a battery store after that. One of the back-up batteries for one of the garage doors needed to be replaced, so I got the proper battery, and I decided I did not feel like putting it in the opener, and that MIGHT be another thing I will do tomorrow. I have two other sets of batteries that I purchased that ended up being the WRONG batteries, so I need to return those. Maybe tomorrow. I have ONE lemon on my tree (bush), and I think I had three last year. I think one lemon is a perfectly acceptable harvest from this tree (bush), and I will not complain. I am hoping for some peaches and plums next year, time will tell.

Volume 18 - Day 211/154, 2026 - Thursday

After walking this morning (I didn't want to walk but I did), I did a few things around the Curious House, and then I headed in to Austin to spend a good bit of the morning just hanging out and appreciating this view. I could have done worse! After that, I went to the Police Department in Georgetown to present my Citizens Police Academy Application. This could be fun! The lady at the reception window seemed to think I would be a shoe-in, so apparently she is not that good of a screener. After that, I went to visit a pain management office to see if they could provide the 'viscosupplementation' that I am looking for. Basically, that is just the technical term for shooting my knee full of a gel that takes the place of the cartilage that is missing, causing me to be a gimp. I hate gimping. And, no, the office I was at does not offer that service. Still on the lookout! Then, I had a cheeseburger and a small coke, and made it to the chiropractor with five minutes to spare. The girls thought I had abandoned them, and they were A). Happy to see me, or B). Hungry. Maybe a little bit of both. Tomorrow will basically be spent in the Curious House, finishing up some volunteer stuff that I have been putting off, and doing a little bit of this-and-that paperwork. 

Volume 18 - Day 210/155, 2026 - Wednesday

Today was a really good day for eating! I had lunch with my friend John at Bartlett's in Austin, and it was a truly delicious Club Salad. I kept thinking I should bring some of it home, but I ended up eating the whole thing. I cannot describe how good it was. Then for dinner tonight, I went with Linda and Jimmie to El Mariachi in Liberty Hill and had chicken enchiladas. I think. It was chicken something. Very good. Also today, I took a two hour virtual CE class, and did laundry. Washed, dried, folded (not really) and put away. Or maybe just wadded up and put in drawers. Whatever. It is truly hot, and you cannot stay outside more than 15 minutes before you become dehydrated. Or covered in sweat. Or begin to glisten, which is what I prefer. I have a few things on my list for tomorrow, a shake and howdy with a potential new client, an appointment at the chiropractor, and a virtual meeting later in the afternoon. Friday is an open day, and I expect there will be a few estate sales on Saturday. Estate sales are always fun, and there are a few places in the Curious House that are void of interesting items. I must fix that! 

Volume 18 - Day 209/156, 2026 - Tuesday

I had a choice of photos that could have been included with this journal entry; it came down to the spider mites that have attached my impatiens at the front door, or the weather forecast for the next several days, showing 100 degree temperatures for the next several days. I will be spraying the impatiens tonight and cutting them back to try and rid them of the mites. Fingers crossed. Rick and Bob and I had a nice ROMEO breakfast this morning, and after that, I had an appointment with the surgeon about my knee. The bottom line is, nothing is going to happen in the near term. He had the x-ray from last year, agreed that the knee is a mess, but since I have learned how to compensate for the pain, he does not recommend a knee replacement. That's okay with me, but it sounds like I need to be experiencing chronic intolerable pain before anything will be done. I guess pro-activity is not on the table. We shall see. The Buzz is back home and in the garage. It is weird because, they apparently disconnected the battery for some reason, and all my settings are gone. I am (sort of) having to re-learn how to drive it, but I am sure it will be fine this weekend when we hit estate sales. I contemplated doing laundry today, but I decided to put it off until tomorrow. I am taking a virtual class beginning at 10AM, and I cannot think of a better time to do laundry than that!