I’ve been powerless. Got to Houston. Started to write. Realized my power adapter was still in the Hill Country. The battery on my laptop drained quicker than I could write.

My mind is buzzing today, and not with words to say. I’ve got to travel and that’s an entirely different mindset, especially when there’s a complication.

Heaven, help me. First, it was Wordle. An oddly satisfying game. I investigated letter frequency, studied combinations, and built a spreadsheet, because why would you continue to harvest by hand when you could use a combine.

I had a day yesterday. Got things done. Found a cache of linens, fine napkins, tablecloths. Paid my property taxes. Had my garbage disposal replaced. Bought a new comforter. Bought new pillow shams. Washed windows.

I did it. Installed new lights in the China Cabinet. Emptied it. Moved it. Washed most of the display items. Re-displayed everything. I even washed all of my late wife’s blue glass. Put it in the China Cabinet.

It was another good day of going and doing. Bought the paint for today’s job. Boxed up the daily use Pfaltzgraff China. Then, late in the evening I made a discovery that undid my previous work of days before.

Woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of rain, a steady rain. Walked out onto the porch to check it out. Listened for a bit then went back inside to bed and to sleep. It was a good sleep, and I woke refreshed this morning.

Took down a seldom used cup for coffee this morning. It asked if I’d still love it when it was 64. I think it was a gift from my wife for a birthday or anniversary or maybe Christmas. I really have no idea. I only know it’s been in the house a long time because there was a time when 64 felt like it was a long way off.

After a life trained by work, where the days were driven by preparation and planning, it’s odd to be in a situation where that’s no longer central to my life.

The day dawns clear and cold which is a nice break from clear and cloudy which translates into gloomy and turns us all into recluses. This is more like it.

In other good news, Pluto is leaving Capricorn and going to Aquarius. According to all the TikTok’s in my feed, that’s good news for me because I’m a Cancer having been born in July.

Drove into Houston yesterday to watch my granddaughter perform at an indoor track meet. She long jumped, she ran, everyone seemed happy.

The cold has come, and it will come again next week, except next time it will bring reinforcements. We’ll be in for a hard freeze. Okay, I’m fine with that.

The wise men have come and gone. The Feast of the Epiphany is over. I can start taking down my Christmas decorations. All the colored lights will soon be boxed. The angels stored for another year. The Nativity Set wrapped and bundled. The winter season will officially be upon me.

The house is painted. Refreshed. We’re ready for another ten years. Maybe I should sell it. It looks good. But no. I’m going to paint walls on the inside. Do an accent wall, or two. Change things up.

Yesterday. Wow. … A storm was brewing. It hit when I got on Interstate Ten. I had just passed an exit … when the traffic stopped. As in still. All lanes were closed due to an accident that happened earlier that morning.

I’m entering year ten of my little blog. My output was down last year from the previous year because I started the year with the idea, I’d take weekends off. Couldn’t do it. Too boring. Still, I ended up with 294 entries. Output.

My life is a compendium of serendipitous events, places we’ve moved, people I’ve meet, paths I’ve crossed. Entire groups of friends are based on chance.

Here comes the end of the year. The time for reassessment. This year I’m taking a hard look at my budget. Where have I been spending money and where do I want to spend it in the future. Not really fun, but it might mean a lot to my retirement…

This is all about the blog and the email that has now started appearing in inboxes. A behind the scenes look at 21st century technology.