Volume 13 - Day 158/207, 2021 - Monday

Yesterday, I was summoned to my CPA's office. We made a 1 o'clock appointment, and it could have been worse. They needed answers to a couple things, and I caused them confusion and doubt to the best of my ability. I escaped unscathed after making notes of the three questions they needed clarification about, and e-mailed them that information after I got home. Before going home, I went by the farm and did my daily chores (I did not cut any more grass), and had every intention of stopping at HEB on the way home, but missed the exit (I get deep in thought), and blew it off. There was nothing I was in desperate need of, so I can put that off until tomorrow. I was basically going to get cat food and donuts, but I (and the cat) will both survive until tomorrow or the next day. Maybe longer. I am kind of proud of myself for being this close to having my taxes done this early. I believe in extensions, and have taken advantage of them for decades. Who knows, maybe one of these years I will get them done by April 15th. Maybe. As I reported last week, the girls were schlepped to the beautiful parlor, and I thought I would share this photo of them to accompany this journal entry. As I said, Callie looks pretty much the same, but Lexie (the Piglet), looks totally different. She went in all curly and chaotic, and came out looking more like a girl dog.

Volume 13 - Day 157/208, 2021 - Sunday

I don't think I even mentioned that my car is smarter than I am. I honestly don't this it is necessary to mention that, since most people I know are aware that I am not the smartest person in the room, not the brightest bulb in the package, and, generally speaking, not considered the icing on the cake. But I digress. Last Sunday, my car said I needed to change the 12 volt battery in the car. So, I made an appointment to have the battery replaced using my 'smart' phone, and the first appointment available was June 16th. Okay, the car said it needed a new battery 'soon,' but it really did not define 'soon,' so I just kept driving. On Tuesday, it said (and I am paraphrasing) Okay Dumbass, if you don't replace the 12 volt battery, you're gonna need to pull over and walk. So, I went to the service center (I did not pass go), and they replaced it for me while I waited. SO...all is good, but it could have been ugly. No rain recently, there is a chance of rain overnight, but then they are not predicting any more rain until October or November. Seriously! I went to the farm today, cleaned the chicken coop, fed the cat, and cut (at) some grass. The grass was really high, but it looks a little bit better than it did. I may cut some more tomorrow afternoon, and through the rest of next week. In the meantime, I am just in the mood to take it easy for a while, and enjoy the easier things that are available to me.

Volume 13 - Day 156/209, 2021 - Saturday

This makes two weeks in a row that the Saturday Night Driveway Group has enjoyed a really lovely sunset. I am really happy to be moved to the Curious House, and Saturday nights are really something to look forward to. There are about five sets of regulars (including me), and we talk on a wide range of subjects, ranging anywhere from politics, women's health, current events, polyamorous relationships, Christianity, toilet paper and seersucker shorts. You just never know how one subject will lead to another. But, I am truly glad I am here. I got new neighbors today, but I have not met them yet. Seems like a young couple, with a newborn and a little dog. I may try to make their acquaintance tomorrow or the next day, I don't want to bother them while they are moving in. Today was a 'no-rain' day, but there might be some tomorrow night. Otherwise, the rain is out of the forecast for the foreseeable future. We have had enough to last us a little bit. I was on a quest for short pants today, and I found some, but now I am obsessed with them, and won't be satisfied until I have more short pants than I need. I am going to Morocco in December with Michael and Lynda, and so last night I looked on-line to see what the most popular souvenirs from Morocco are, and it seems the leather goods are really popular and relatively inexpensive, so I may come home with a new jacket. Tomorrow is brunch day, and then I will be off to the farm to get a few things done, and I think I will be able to work in a nap or two as well. 

Volume 13 - Day 155/210, 2021 - Friday

Today has had a couple ups-and-downs. It started with an early zoom call. After the call, I headed in to the office and had a few stops to make along the way. One stop was at the post office, where I wanted to purchase five rolls of first class stamps. I was surprised to find that they did not have five rolls of first class stamps. Logically, IMHO, I should be able to buy A LOT of stamps at the post office, and they should have a large vault with thousands of rolls of stamps. Apparently not. After much discussion and sharing of opinions, I was informed that they could fill my order on Tuesday. I suggested that perhaps if I went to Costco, I could get five rolls (or sheets, who cares) of stamps AT A DISCOUNT. Alas, that was a situation I would not find a resolution to. So, I was then off to the office, and I had another zoom shortly after I would get there. I decided to stop at McDonald's to take my lunch to the office. I was scheduled to be a pretty long zoom. I asked for a 'Filet o Fish combo meal' with a Diet Coke. The response was, 'you want a little fish?' No, I would like a Filet o Fish combo meal with a Diet Coke. The response: We are still serving breakfast, we don't serve Filet o Fish until 10:30. It was 10:26. I was, once again, defeated. The rest of the day was better, and that was nice. I only got rained on twice today, but we are expecting possible flooding over the weekend. Finally (this is where you applaud), I am in the market for a new head shot, and I am considering something like the caricature I am including with this post. It does, in fact, reflect how I have been feeling lately, too. Thoughts?

Volume 13 - Day 154/211, 2021 - Thursday

I understand that everything we do is leaning towards 'specialization,' but even I think this is carrying things a little bit too far. AND...I think it is interesting that Target is promoting this so heavily. It is on an end-cap, apparently in the 'men's landscaping' department. I was in the market for a new beard trimmer (and yes, I understand that a beard trimmer can have multiple purposes), but apparently this particular item, priced at $90, has only one very specific purpose. Designed for Groin Grooming. I did, however, accomplish my task, and I bought a $29 beard trimmer. And no, you cannot borrow it. It rained almost all day today, a solid 10 hours of rain. I got the girls to the groomer this morning, and I have to tell you, the Piglet is almost unrecognizable. She is not nearly as piglet-like as she was this morning, and I say that every time I take her to be groomed. I have already made the next appointment, two months from now. Are little sissy dogs like these two supposed to be groomed every two months? Every three months? If any of you know the answer to that question, please feel free to pipe up. I had two zooms today, one tomorrow, and after the second zoom today, I brought the girls back home and then headed off to the farm. And it was still raining. It has quit raining for now, but there is a 70% chance of more rain overnight, and all weekend. I have to admit, the thunder and lightning show last night was INCREDIBLE, and I cannot remember a better show of nature's capabilities. I just took another look at the photo accompanying this post, and it is cracking me up, AGAIN!

Volume 13 - Day 153/212, 2021 - Wednesday

I really don't much care what day it is, but I am not opposed to knowing what day it is. Long weekends just cause me confusion, but I am now relatively confident that today is Wednesday, and tomorrow is Thursday. I really don't care that it has been raining A LOT recently. Less than an inch-and-a-half in April, 8.3 inches in May, and already almost three inches in June. And, we continue to have better than even chances of rain for three or four of the next seven days. Bring it on! Nothing breaks a drought like a flood, and a good rain and a new calf are always welcome in Texas. About ten minutes after I took the photo for this entry, it started raining really heavily. By the time I got to the Curious House, it was done, but now, for the last fifteen or twenty minutes, we are receiving monsoonal rains. It is an interesting time in which we are living. Otherwise, there was some excitement on many fronts today. A couple offers for the house at the farm, which we are now negotiating, the survey crew was there this morning to do the new survey for the property, and all was well with the chickens and Barney. Life is good. Oh, and there was a malfunction at one of our state agencies, and the real estate licenses for every brokerage in Texas were changed to 'inactive' status. Just between us, that caused some sh*t, but it should all be fixed at some future point. How was your day?

Volume 13 - Day 152/213, 2021 - Tuesday

Okay, so...since there was not a loud outcry accusing me of disgusting innuendo (I said I was nekkid yesterday), ponder on this for just a couple minutes. I got home this evening, and turned on the tv to see what catastrophe I had (so far) missed. No news, but commercials caught my attention. As I have professed before, I am a victim of Madison Avenue. But I digress... I have mentioned in this journal that I am taking Prevagen, just to see if I think it will help me with better cognitive things...every now and then, I can't think of a word, just stuff like that. So...there was a commercial about Prevagen when I turned on the television. Immediately following that commercial was a commercial for a drug to help men with erectile dysfunction. And then it struck me...if you chose not to take Prevagen, and you were a victim of erectile dysfunction, would you know it? I think not. Maybe. This is the kind of stuff that keeps me awake at night, but I think it is a valid concern. If you are worried with erectile dysfunction, maybe it would just be better if you didn't know it. FYI: This topic will not be accompanied with a photo for this journal entry. DAMMIT! 

Okay, now for something completely different... Overnight, we got 2.16" of rain at the Curious House. It REALLY rained! So far today, there has not been any rain, but they are forecasting more overnight tonight and every day this week. I think they are forecasting about 3 more inches of rain in this area over the next seven days.