SPRING WAS SHORT, NOW SUMMER

Hello to one and all. Well tis 4:30pm on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 and I thought I'd post since it has been a long time. All is well here. Business Sucks Hind Tit. The wife and I took another trip to Fredricksburg back in March during Sring Break. We really enjoyed the trip as usual. Brought back wine and memories. It was in the high 80s yesterday and the low 80s today. Humid as hell and we're hoping for a front tonight to maybe cool it off some. Oh, did I mention it is APRIL, and I'm wanting for a cool front! Gonna be another long hot summer in hell for us old fat people. My yard looks pretty good for now. I've only mowed in the back and a small portion of the front as I wait till after wildflower season to mow in genral. I have a pretty good stand of bluebonnets this year but the pictures that I'm posting don't do them justice. My herbs are all looking good and I'm very happy to see honeybees buzzing all over them and the flowers. The Swallows came back and cuss at us every time we venture onto the back patio. They're not sitting on the nest yet and I suppose they have some reason for waiting. I really enjoy sitting on the patio whilst watching them swoop, zoom and dive. They are the most graceful of birds. Dawg/Buffalo is still a laugh a minute as she waddles around with her gimpy leg. She is so excited when I come home. On Saturday mornings when it is time to go outside, I have to hide to put my cap and shoes on. Otherwise, I get a doggie saliva bath while I'm trying to tie my damn shoes. Oh, and forget trying to go out the door first as she trys to bowl me over going out first. I'm waiting for McBeefy to get back from Wally World so we can go walk although I'm dreading walking today in 99% humidity and could easily be talked out of it today. On the way to Fredericksburg we pass through a picturesque town called Llano. (Pronounced Yano). It has a town lake with a waterfall and just seems like a peaceful place to live. I took some pictures of the courthouse which I'll try to post. Anyway, got to go for now to see if I can post these pictures. Older Whiskey....

Turkey Day Stuffing

Well, hello to all, friends, family and foes, residing in red and blue states, liberal and conservative and all in between. Stuffing day is over and a good time was had by all. #2 (Justin) and Sarah and Emily, Justin's Squeeze, all arrived at the house promptly at eleven pm on Thanksgiving Eve. I was expecting them around 10 and being tired from working all day had already gone to bed. However, in that my visits with them are so few and far between I drug my tired ass out of bed and socialized for about an hour before cashing in again. The younger set stayed up till 5am cleaing out the liquor cabinet before retiring. It's ok though as they all got up early, around 2pm on Turkey Day. The wife, aided by her mother Georgia and myself cooked and cleaned all day. James and his squeeze Arin finally arrived for dinner around 8pm with dawgs in tow. We had 5 dogs to add to Thanksgiving dinner bedlam much to my wife's chagrin. Sarah brought her 80 pound lap dawg Penelope, Georgia brought her Terrier "Timmy" named for the Southpark Character. (Not Really, but it is hard to call him in a normal tone.) Dawg/Buffalo was present all day of course and then James/Arin arrived with my grandpuppy "Tyson" and their new dawg, half collie and half wildebeast "Asher". Bedlam cannot describe the ensuing "fomal" dinner. We all stuffed and then had pecan and chocolate pies for dessert. The company finally left around 11 and I drug my overstuffed-tired ass to bed for some much-needed Zs. Friday was pretty much a non-event as it was cold and the company had departed. Pretty quiet with just Liz and me and Dawg/Buffalo. Watched the Arkansas/LSU game, toggeling back and forth between it and the Texas/A&M game. Wow! The Arkansas game was unbeliveable. What a heart stopper. I was so glad to see the Hawgs win! On Saturday, after much needed rest on Friday, I had to change the elements in the hot water heater, which I have to do about every 8 months. Our well water has soooo much calcium and the electolosis action of the heat element precipitates the calucim. Most of it drops to the bottom of the heater until finally the lower element shorts out. Takes about 8 months and then Handi-man Jim gets to go drain the heater and suck out the calcium with my wet/dry vac using my Afro-Engineered special hose. Takes about two hours to get out a dry gallon of calcium. What Fun! On Sunday, I cleaned/straightened my garage most of the afternoon. The only time I left the house for the weekend was on Saturday to make a run to the beer store. Anyway, I'm posting pik-sures from the blessed events. The new blonde is Emily, Justin's Squeeze. Hope you all are well. Older Whiskey....

Austin and Fredericksburg

Well, Liz and I went to Austin week before last and I goofed off whist she was in school meetings. I went to the history on Texas Military Museum on the west side, and took a walk down the town lake walkway and across the pedestrian bridge. Austin is now called "Silicone Hills" in that there is so much computer stuff going on there with it being the home of Dell Computer. I had not toured Austin for at least 35 years. I worked a burned-out auto parts store there for the salvage company in the January of 1972. I went driving around then and discovered the "Treaty Oak" by chance. This time, it was posted on a map and I drove right to it. The placard says it was about 100 years old when Columbus set sale for "The Americas". It is quite impressive and the pictures can't do it justice. When I saw it the first time, 35 years ago, it had just had a huge limb sawed off that left a six foot scar on the trunk. I guess the parks department didn't want the wound getting infected so they tiled over the wound with ceramic bathroom tile. The wound is still there bu the tree had scarred over a lot of it. So much for the tree. Right next to it, across the street was a "Whole Foods Market" which started in Austin. Liz and I had gone to one in Ca. but this was my first time to see one here in Tejas. There is no comparison to it with other grocery stores. They have unbeliveable depth in there inventories of international foods, wines, produce etc. They have in-store delis set up with all kinds of prepared foods, with tables so you can eat in the store and drink your bottle of wine. Un-believable! We went and spent about an hour in the pretty new "Texas Museum of History" and it is world-class, three story, open atrium. The statue picture is the original "Goddess of Liberty" that adorned the top of the state capital for about 100 years. Because of deterioration, it was replaced in 1986 with an aluminum casting. On that Friday we left for Fredericksburg around 1pm, spent the night, got up Saturday bought wine at the Fredericksburg Winery, and then proceeded to the annual food and wine festival. It was beutiful weather for us the whole trip. Sat. afternoon we headed home with a stop at on of Texas' newest wineries in the town of Commanche. They converted and old Hill Country limestone house into their gift shop and tasting room. I love this style of architecture with the stone and tin roofs. I only wish that I'd had the time and resources to have built my house in this style. My lot would have been perfect for it. Oh, Well, maybe in someone else's dreams. The weather is finally nice down here except for yesterday and it got up to 84 and we had to turn the AC back on. Sposed to get a front tonight however with 60s tomorrow and 70s for the next week or so. I'm lovin' it. Congratulations to Jason and spouse on the new floor endeavors. Oh to be young enough to tackle that. I just paid 6 grand for a team of Mexicans to install mine and it took them two solid weeks. I felt like I got a bargain after watching them. Three years ago Sarah and Justin had one of their very close friends overdose on heroin and about two weeks ago another shot himself. I went over to Lewisville yesterday for the memorial service. Such a waste of young lives. Both my kids are really freaked out by this and I have few words that will comfort them. Anyway it is over and they can get on with the healing process. Life and Shit Happen. Sometimes you pitch, sometimes you catch! Congratulations to Jessica for getting in on the surgeries. Sorry bout your squirrel problem. Just think how boring your life would be without your four-legged Nemisis. It is Monday morning, 11/5 and business is dead slow in the water so I had better get off this and start earning my keep. Hope the pictures upload ok. Older Whiskey...