2015 - Day 325/40 - Saturday...

Tonight was the preview party for the 19th Annual Austin Empty Bowl Project. We (my business partner Carrie and I) have been long time sponsors of the project that benefits the Capital Area Food Bank and Meals on Wheels and More Kids Cafe. Always a wonderful evening, and I want to thank our friends Mike, Candy, Julie, Jetta Steve and Eric for joining us at the preview party. It was a lot of fun, and lots of good foods, soups, desserts and beverages! A good time was had by all.

Earlier today, I got a lot of errands run so we could get a few things accomplished on Sunday. Visits to target, Home Depot, Tractor Supply and WalMart (for gas and diesel).

Most of the day tomorrow will find me at the Empty Bowl Project, if you get a chance, you need to come by, it is a great cause (always the Sunday before Thanksgiving) and you will not have too much trouble finding me, just look for the 'trash man'.

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

2015 - Day 324/41 - Friday...

It was a full house this morning at the new member orientation at the Board. Probably about 125 new REALTOR® members. I thought I had a meeting immediately following the orientation, so that would have meant that I had to be finished ON-TIME (which for me is kind of a challenge), but alas, my other meeting was at 2 PM, so I could just babble on like a brook. I got finished pretty much at my usual time, so about 10 or 15 minutes past my cut-off. Bottom line, I got some points across, and gave the folks attending some information they could use in their new career.

And then to the office for some power-real estate. I got to the office at about 10:30, and got a good bit of stuff done before I left at about 1:15. What should be a twenty-minute-trip from my office to the Board office now is made uncertain by the construction on MoPac. Wherever you go in Austin, you have to add twenty or thirty minutes to the trip to overcome traffic disruptions. You just have to figure it in, and when folks throw a hissy-fit, just recommend to them that if they are in such a hurry, they should try leaving a little bit earlier the next time.

I am sorry that your lack of planning has caused you this inconvenience.

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

2015 - Dy 323/42 - Thursday...

One can only assume that someone, at some point in time, actually took the time to call someone else to report this small brush fire in the MoPac median. It didn't cause the train to slow down at all, but the traffic was going slowly enough for me to take this photo. Really people, I have no personal dislike for smokers, what I have is a dislike for throwing their trash (of whatever ilk) out onto the streets. In this case, I am jumping to the conclusion that someone tossed their cigarette butt out of the car window (heaven forfend my car should smell like smoke, that's why I use Fabreeze), and caused this slight ignition of combustible materials. After all the rain we have had, I am surprised that it actually ignited, almost as much as I am that no one really paid any attention.

But there you go, we are all too wrapped up with world affairs, and since we seem incapable of making smart, thoughtful comments about that, I feel it is my right to go off on a rant about careless neighbors.

Done.

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

2015 - Day 322/43 - Wednesday...

When I drove into the driveway this afternoon, I noticed the sage up by the road were blooming. Blooming sage is (supposedly) Mother Nature's way of saying rain is on the way. During the recent spells of rain (probably at least in the last month or so), the sage has not bloomed a lick and it rained like crazy. Now the weather prognosticators are predicting NO RAIN for the next week or so (okay, they say there is a 20% chance on Saturday, and in Texas that translates to NO RAIN) and the sage here are blooming their little hearts out. Whatever.

Today was another good day, things turned out well. A meeting that I expected to last three or four hours was over in less than two hours, so that opened up some time for me to get some things done; catching up with e-mails, showing property, reviewing property applications, this and that. I just LOVE found time in my schedule. Nothing better than time, I am here to tell you.

Breakfast meeting tomorrow, then time in the office.

Life is good, I am the luckiest man in the world!

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

2015 - Day 321/44 - Tuesday...

You guys are all extra lucky tonight. Since it rained overnight (it followed me home from San Diego) and it rained on me all the way into the city, you were going to get a photo of a rain blurred windshield. But, lucky for you guys, when I got home this evening, there were some clearing skies and some really pretty pinks and reds, so out with the dreary and depressing, and in with the pink and pretty. Kind of like my day today, too. Could have gone downhill really quickly, but it turned out alright and on a positive upbeat note. Have I mentioned lately that I am the luckiest man in the world? Even though I do have domestic Goddess chores to complete before retiring (dishwasher is loaded, have to push some buttons now), and still playing catch-up on work that was put on hold while I was out cavorting on the west coast (those trips are killers, y'all), I am the luckiest guy in the world.

Somebody has a birthday tomorrow, and it is not me.

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

2015 - Day 320/45 - Monday...

This post is going to be (relatively) short and sweet, since I just got home and it is already past my bedtime. I would have been home about 30 minutes earlier, but when the plane landed, we had no gate to unload at (no rooms at the Inn), but I am home now, partially unpacked, and happy. I also have a whole new appreciation for John Legend. He gave a great concert last night for the REALTOR® conference in San Diego, one-hour flat, in-and-out, nobody gets hurt, but it was fun and I like his work. I was in the eighth row center, good seats, hardly had to stand up the entire night.

I will hit the ground running tomorrow, after a week full of meetings, this will be another week full of meetings.

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

2015 - Day 319/46 - Sunday...

One thing I have always enjoyed about attending various conventions in southern California is the flora that grow like weeds. Living in central Texas is not conducive to many plants and flowering shrubs that require at least some attention, particularly the moisture kind of attention. Here the succulents grow crazily (they should grow well in our area of Texas, but I have quite successfully caused them to succumb to an early demise) and particularly the Birds of Paradise. I am fascinated by them just willy-nilly there for all to enjoy. Here is my challenge; I have been here for four days now, and I have passed this particular spot every one of those days, and today was the first time I noticed this lush planting. Had to stop and take a quick photographic document, and the passers-by thought I was cray-cray. That's okay with me, there are lots of different cray-cray-ness in the world, and I happy to support this kind.

Finished my third (and last) meeting of the day, and in a couple hours I will be heading to a John Legend concert. I am not particularly familiar with his body of work, but as soon as I hit 'publish' I will do an null search and brush up on his work.

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