2014 - Day 172/193 - Saturday...

The morning glories are coming along pretty nicely, but they are nothing like they were last year.  I do not know what I did differently last year, but they were beautiful.  Well, the several days of below freezing temperatures might have had something to do with it, but they were extra beautiful last year!

Today was a pretty good day for a household full of sick folks.  I am still in recovery mode, and I still think it has been mostly sinus, but you cannot REALLY prove it by me.  I have had a (sinusy?) kind of headache for most of the day, but perhaps if I would take an aspirin or something it might help.

ANYWAY, I did manage to get the chicken coop cleaned out and put some fresh nesting materials in the nesting boxes.  I also got the electric fence in the back fixed as well.  I walked the fence lines the other day trying to see if I could determine where it had shorted out, and couldn't find anything.  Today, I just changed the power supply and it works.  Nothing lasts forever, and these charging units seem to work for about 13 or 14 months, basically a month or two longer than the warranty.

I went into Circleville then into Georgetown to run a couple errands, and then it was back to the blue chair.  I have had a couple nice naps today, looking forward to a good nights sleep, then a couple naps tomorrow.  I only have a couple things to get accomplished on my list tomorrow, so that will be great.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, SINUSITIS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2014 - Day 171/194 - Friday...

Yes, once again it is Friday, and I hate the conflict that brings.  A couple days that I will (technically) not be working, but there is nothing on television.  Conflict.  I plan to sleep A LOT and continue my recovery, BUT Jody has now come down with the crud, so I expect I will put a little bit of time hovering (that is different than hovering) over him, trying the make sure that he is comfortable and that this thing does not develop into pneumonia.  He said earlier that he was feeling better but in my opinion he sounded worse.  We will see how this goes.  One of my clients today told me he had the same thing I have (according to the raspy bronchial cough) and that after a week or two it turned into pneumonia.  I really think I am on the down hill slide with this thing, but it will not hurt to rest a little more over the weekend.

These are not really trumpet vines (I don't think) and Jody cannot right now recall the names of them, but they are blooming here and there in the yard.  I have always liked them, have always thought they were beautiful, and the hummingbirds like them very much as well.

I did a YNN (Time Warner) interview this morning while I was at the Board, not sure when it will air.  We put out stats today, so that usually generates a couple requests for interviews and sound bites.  I had an appointment at 3 o'clock this afternoon, and at 2:56 KLBJ called and wanted a remote RIGHT THEN.  Sorry...if it had really been RIGHT THEN it probably worked since I was still in the car for five minutes...but no sense making myself crazy and trying to cram more stuff into a really tight window.  I hate not being able to do what needs to be done, but sometimes a little bit of pre-planning is needed.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CRUD, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2014 - Day 170/195 - Thursday...

I considered leading off this paragraph with the words "How do you piss off a Policeman in Austin, Texas?", but I thought better of it and change my mind.  I still do not have an appropriate lead-off sentence for this entry, so I will just go forward and see where we end up.

I think the cop in the day-glo yellow vest reacted totally inappropriately as I was driving past the scene of this five-car accident on the north bound side of IH-35 as I travelled homeward this afternoon.  I waited patiently for about three miles while all lanes of traffic stopped and started, and all the lanes of traffic funneled themselves into a single lane.  It is kind of the same thing I experience when I go to the post office.  I will wait patiently in line while those before me conduct their business, and  will not complain.  On the other hand, when it is my turn in the cute, I am not going to hurry my transaction.  "Yes, I kind of like these Texas Wildflower stamps, but what else do you have?  Anything with Lady Bird's picture?  How about Elvis?  Anything with Elvis on a stamp?"

Otherwise it was another pretty excellent day.  Chris and I delivered Meals-On-Wheels, and that is always fun.  Then we took care of  little bit of this and that, and then we went to a listing appointment, and then back to the office so I could hurry up and wait.  See the preceding two paragraphs.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, DO NOT POINT, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2014 - Day 169/196 - Wednesday...

I have to keep reminding myself that it is WEDNESDAY, not Thursday.  I wonder what day it will be tomorrow? 

Today was another really good day.  I made a decision early in the day to ‘stop the madness’ for today anyway, and take a break from the over-scheduling that I am so typically guilty of.  And things got better and better as the day progressed.

I had some personal errands that needed to be completed; first I stopped at the HEB in Georgetown to buy some mayonnaise and ketchup (condiments for my wiener lunches).  Then I had to go by the Tax Assessors Office to get some paperwork transferred, then on to the whatever it is called office it is to get a new toll road transponder.  Then I made a quick service stop for my car, then on to a couple other errands, then to the office.  It was all-in-all a very calm and rewarding day.  Peachy!

By the way, today (you may already know this because I included it as a status update on my Face Book page) is the beginning of mine and Jody’s 23^rd year together.  Nothing but good times, and nothing more but good times to come down the road.

And we even got a little bitty bit of rain today! 0.03” to be exact.  It is nice to know that the windshield wipers actually work.  It would be helpful if cars in this area came equipped with dust sensors that is more of a problem than rain generally.

I am actually writing this a couple hours before I am ready to post it.  Jody and I are heading out to ‘The Crossroads’ for burgers (celebratory) for dinner.  Join us if you are in the neighborhood!  Of course, by the time I post this, we will already be back from having dinner, so there is really no way you could join us.  It is kind of like time-travel, if you think about it and squeeze your eyes together really tightly.  Honest!  I expect the typical burger will be the photo of choice today, maybe something else will pique my interests between now and then.

I did go back into the pastures this afternoon when I got home, all is well.  All the cattle are accounted for, none missing, no surprise additions.  The electric fence does have a short in it somewhere, and my cursory glance to the problem revealed nothing.  There will be a fix found over the weekend.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, GOOD DAYS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2014 - Day 168/197 - Tuesday...

It is still Tuesday, right?  My convalescence is taking over, seems like tomorrow already, or maybe the day after, not sure.

I know of no other places except here in Central Texas (very close indeed to the edge of nowhere, which, if you are a new subscriber to this journal IS INDEED further than the middle of nowhere) where a sight like this means IT IS NEVER GOING TO RAIN AGAIN.  We occasionally have visitors from out of state (typically from the cold places) that are convinced that the flood gates are soon to open and we should all take cover, to which we respond 'pish-pish, bless your heart, try to get a grip'.  There are indeed lots of elephants in those clouds, but none that are going to fall to these blackland prairies.  RATZO!  POST RANT (as opposed to a PS):  Okay all you amateur meteorologists out there, I KNOW these are not cumulo-nimbus clouds, but I was trying to make a point here.  Give me a break!  Boo-Hoo!

Today was a great day, right up to the part that Randy called me and said he thought there was a dead calf back in the pasture, evidenced by the fact that the momma was standing there bawling her eyes out.  That was the cause of some concern, indeed.  As it turned out, it was just another documented case that cows are not the smartest things on earth.  A calf just got a fence in between itself and its' momma and neither one of them could figure out how that happened.  'I just woke up and here I was, I have no idea how I got here and that fence thing is causing me a conundrum'.  Even after Randy opened the gate I think they were still suspicious but they finally took a chance and were reunited.  Bless their hearts.

Favorite New Phrase:  Boo-Hoo.  Replaces Dumb Ass, which is a great relief to many, I know.

Boo-Hoo!

Again, today was an excellent day, and I would like to personally thank all of you that had a part in it, but I can't.  Boo-Hoo!  But in particular, thanks to William and Randy.  Bless Your Hearts!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, Boo-Hoo, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2014 - Day 167/198 - Monday...

Whenever I get really sick, I feel like I have 'medicine head'.  The actual consumption and/or use of any medicine(s), whether prescribed by a medical professional or a casual acquaintance is not necessary.  I just feel like I have 'medicine head'.  This television commercial pretty well accurately describes the feeling.  I feel I am big and swollen (please remove your mind from the gutter, this is a family based journal), and cannot think clearly or communicate the way I am feeling.  I can remember when I was a little kid, trying to tell my dad how I was feeling.  All I could say was 'it is like big words are going through my head'.  I remember that very clearly.  Thinking back, I must have had a fever and was somewhat delusional, a symptom that clearly remains with me decades later.  But, this too shall pass, and I expect I am on the downhill slide to feeling better.  Thanks for asking.

Before I was even on the Interstate for a respectable amount of time this morning, I was plagued by a vehicle that decided to 'spontaneously combust' on its' own volition, and backed up traffic for miles and miles.  All three southbound lanes of traffic were stopped, and when I finally got to the scene of the 'miracle of the Nissans' it was all off to the left shoulder and there was nothing left to see except for a score of Police, Fire and EMS vehicles.  Move along folks, there is nothing to see here.  Keep moving!

Mostly an office day, and the same will be for tomorrow.  I do have a luncheon appointment, and then a quick meeting in my office, but other than that, a good day of doing real estate.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, MEDICINE HEAD, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2014 - Day 166/199 - Sunday...

Happy Fathers Day to all the Fathers out there!

The cactus continue to bloom, and we are almost at the first day of summer.  There is even a little bit of rain in the upcoming seven day forecast.  Sweet! 

I just barely even went out of the house today.  I am plagued with the crud; probably a combination of something along with allergies.  I could not sleep last night because I was coughing so much, so I got up and went to the blue chair.  That was better.  I got up this morning, read at the paper, made me and Jody some breakfast, and retired back to the blue chair.  I stayed there until after 4 o'clock this afternoon, at which time I went out to the chicken coop and gave the girls some feed, collected eggs, made sure there was water in all the appropriate places, and came back inside.  Jody and I had a small dinner, and after I complete this journal entry, I intend to have the rest of my Lime pie that I brought home the other day, followed by ice cream, followed by popsicles, and garnished with jelly beans.  I recommend you all give me a wide berth.

The coming week looks relatively calm, we will see how that all works out!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, DESSERTS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!