The 2500 Gallon Black Water Tank!

Today has been great, but I've been lazy. This morning I watched a few more YouTube videos on podcasting—then I wrote and worked on my third novella for a few more hours.

I cooked tortilla soup for Tony's and my lunch and then cleaned up the kitchen, before taking a short sleepless nap with our dogs.

After that I grabbed a tape measure and went outside and measured the water cistern, because I now have the paint and am about ready to paint the 2500 gallon black water tank. Then I had a sinking spell and went back inside to take another nap with my best friends.

An hour later after another sleepless nap, but feeling totally rested I called Carol to catch up with her news and we had a fun visit. And that is about it for tonight, because I am fixin' to give Little Debbie a pedicure.

Y'all have a great evening and keep on laughing!

Potholders or Postcards!

Today has been great. Tony worked this morning, but I had the whole day off. So while Tony was working next door, at Escondida Resort, I surfed the Internet for information on podcasting.

I found a lot of helpful information, so before Tony returned home for lunch I had already gone to Amazon's Cyber Monday and purchased a Blue Yeti microphone for only $69.00 (regularly $189.00) and with free shipping.

Later on when Tony and I went to Kerrville to run a few errands I told him that I was all excited about doing podcasts.

After I told him everything that I had found out about podcasting, he asked, "So how do you make money doing it?"

I explained to him about the four different ways of monetizing that I had read about and after I said, "The last one is called crowdfunding and it says you encourage people to buy a monthly subscription for about $2.00 and if they subscribe you reward them with a gift. "But I don't know what kind of gift I could give them for under a dollar."

There was a moment of silence while Tony parked Trigger in front of Wolfmueller's Books. Then Tony said, "How about potholders?" And I burst out laughing. "Like that pink one that you and Jean made."

"You mean the one I hermetically sealed and framed and hung up on the wall? " (On November 16, 2016 I blogged about Jean and I making this famous potholder: https://cousinnancy.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-time-capsule.html )

When we walked inside Wolfmueller's Books Sandy, Jean and Jon greeted us and then we all started laughing for no reason.

After we all sat down near the checkout counter we took turns catching up with each other's latest news and when I told them about me doing weekly podcasts after the new year they were all ears, so to speak. 

When I told them about Tony suggesting I give away free potholders Jean, Sandy & Jon burst out laughing. So I said, "Jean, I really need for you to make the potholders for me, but I will only be able to pay you about fifty-cents per potholder and you'll have to buy the loops. And Tony will get nothing if that makes you feel any better. Because I've got to make a profit."

As Jean continued to laugh while shaking her head sideways, I said, "Jean, I can't make them, because I will be way too busy recording one podcast after another. And Tony will have to be the one to call in the potholder orders for me. I'm going to use The Last Resort as my podcasting studio."

After we had all quit laughing, Jean said, "I don't know, Nancy. If you still have some of Tony's postcards. Why don't you give two or three of them away instead of potholders?"

"Yeah," Jon added. "It would be easy and cost effective! You wouldn't have to buy inventory. Just stuff 2-3 of his beautiful postcards into an envelope and use a regular stamp? How simple is that?"

This power (podcast) meeting continued on for about thirty more minutes and my brain was racing with all kinds of ideas. 

But the one thing that I am sure about is my 2020 new year resolution is to do at least 2-3 weekly podcasts and the 5-10 minute long podcasts will be about me telling funny or heartwarming animal rescue stories and other funny stories about my life. And for me the Bottom    Line is: My purpose in life is to make people feel good—and to make them laugh a lot. And I am serious about this.

Y'all have a great evening and keep on laughing! 

We Love You Folks!

Today has been so much fun. This morning Tony and I worked next door at Escondida Resort. Our dear friends Kent Perkins and his sweet wife Ruth(ie) Buzzi have been staying there and after breakfast, before Tony and I came back home Kent pulled me aside and he told me that he and Ruthie and Ethan, their personal chef, wanted to come over for coffee and a visit after they had checked out. "We love you guys," Kent said. "We want to see your writing cabin and Little Debbie, too." I was thrilled.

So as soon as I got back home I quickly cleaned The Cabin, so it would not look like we live here. And I finished five minutes before they arrived in one of their beautiful Rolls Royces. It had been perfect timing to say the least.

Before we went inside The Cabin, Tony and I took them to see The Last Resort and I am proud to say that they totally loved it, too.

We hung inside there for about thirty minutes and before we left The Last Resort, I asked Ruthie & Kent to please sign the door and I asked Ethan to sign it, too.

And they signed it underneath what sweet Carol had written back in September.

When we came inside The Cabin to drink coffee, Ruthie and Kent took turns holding Little Debbie, because like so many of our friends—they love Little Debbie, too. 

While we were drinking coffee, Kent noticed Little Debbie sitting on Ruthie's lap, so he suggested, "Y'all should take a picture of Ruthie and Little Debbie."

Kent and I were sitting on the couch and I had Big Al(ice) sitting in my lap, so I asked Tony to please take a picture of Ruthie with Little Debbie. So he grabbed my camera, off of my desk and took this cute picture of them together.

Tony and I had so much fun visiting with Ruthie & Kent and Ethan. They stayed for about an hour and we hardly ever quit laughing until it was time for them to leave and head back to their ranch in North Texas.

And before Ruthie & Kent got back into their Rolls, they leaned on the hood and sang, "We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish...." to Tony and me. And when they had finished singing to us Tony and I sang "We wish you a Merry Christmas" back at them.

Y'all have a great (day) evening and keep on laughing!

Pajamas!

Today has been fun. Last night when I went to work the first thing that Darlene and Sarah said to me was, "Nancy, do you have pajamas?"

"Yes," I answered as I tied the apron around my muffin top. "Why?"

The women started laughing and then they told me that they wanted to play a joke on Wolfgang, our boss. "Since we have all been working extra hours for weeks we thought it would be funny to come to work in the morning wearing our pjs....We'll tell Wolfgang that we were just too tired to put on clothes...." And last night during dinner we told a few of the guests what we were up to and they thought it was hilarious.

In fact, Dana suggested that we tell Wolfgang and his wife that we wear our pajamas to work everyday.

So this morning after showering I put on my pajamas and went next door.

As I drove Trigger past Sarah's and Darlene's house I saw Sarah and Tracy sitting out on the porch smoking, so I stopped and got out of the truck, to make sure they were still going to wear their pajamas to work. Because I did not want to show up first in my pajamas and be the only one wearing pj's.

Ten minutes later all of us drove down and parked our vehicles at the Escondida hacienda and we were all wearing our pajamas. And Darlene, went the whole nine yards, because she had even rolled up her hair in curlers.

As the four of us strolled into the courtyard, Wolfgang and his son were sitting outside on a bench and when they saw us—they burst out laughing and then they followed us into the kitchen, to drink coffee with us while Darlene and I got things ready for breakfast.

Before the Escondida guests started arriving for breakfast at 8:30, I was visiting and drinking coffee with Wolfgang, and I joked, "I almost came to work this morning—not wearing my dentures. But that might have been too much for your guests." And he burst out laughing. Then he suggested that Tony come take pictures of us—in our pajamas. So we lined up and Tony shot us.

Y'all have a great evening!

Something In The Way!

First off—Happy Thanksgiving Day to all of y'all. 

We've had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day so far, but it is early.

Tony and I worked a few hours this morning and in a few hours we are going back over to Escondida Resort to be treated to a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner with our friends. And we know the food will be absolutely delicious, because Darlene and her sweet son Todd are cooking the festive feast.

Earlier this morning, after working next door, I was home washing some dishes and when I looked out the kitchen window—Henry Standing Bear was outside watching me. And once again he wasn't standing on the ground and it made me laugh, so I took this picture of him.

After drying the dishes and putting them away I was in the big room and glanced outside the window above the couch—Henry was doing it again, so I took these pictures of him, because there is something in the way he stands that moves me to laugh out loud."

Then I brought Henry inside, so I could enjoy a short nap with all of our four-leggers.

After my sleepless, but restful nap with my furry friends Tony and I went outside to The Last Resort so he could help me hang up my latest sign that I got made—DILLIGAF, above the door.

And when we went inside The Last Resort I laughed when I read what Chet O'Keefe had written on the door and what Ellie & Drew had written. And I don't know what Akron3 is about.

After Tony had hung my DILLIGAF  sign above the door I stood back and took this picture. And that was before I turned on the lamp.

Then I turned around, turned on the lamp and snapped this picture, because I am so in love with how my tiny, cozy, writing cabin has turned out. (FYI: I still need to hang up some more pictures. Then it will be completely finished.)

Y'all have a great Thanksgiving and keep on laughing!

P.S. I am wearing my new pair of 501 Levis today. So this Thanksgiving Day I am especially thankful that the little shoplifting alarm is dead and gone. Rest In Peace Beep-Beep!

A Floater!

Yesterday morning after working next door I had to run a few errands in Kerrville. My first stop was at the big H-E-B to stock up on groceries. I guess because everyone was doing some last minute shopping for turkey day on Thursday—it took me over ten minutes to find a parking space and park Trigger.

The grocery store was filled with so many people I speed-shopped while dodging people visiting, kids running wild, people not moving and just starring at their phones (looking like zombies) as I waited patiently for them to move so I could get what I needed off of the shelves, etc.

Basically, because of the upcoming holiday I put people into three categories. They were either mad or joyous or bewildered and I was determined to be joyous and I think I pulled it off.

My next/last stop was at a department store in the mall so I could purchase some New Balance walking shoes, because my old pair finally fell apart. In fact, earlier that morning at work my old shoes came apart where the rubber meets the leather, so when I walked—my shoes more or less echoed my footsteps—flopping after each step that I took. Thankfully, no one noticed at work.

After purchasing my new shoes I went and bought a new pair of 501 Levis. My older jeans didn't come apart at the seams or echo (except when I accidentally farted) I just needed a new pair. And I was pleased with my discount of $19.51.

Right after I returned home I put away the groceries and unpacked my new shoes and put them on for a test drive.

I was a happy camper until I pulled my Levis out of the sack and saw this wire-thing looped between the belt loops—it was a shoplifter alarm and it was sort of cute. And because I needed to go back to work soon I knew that I did not have enough time to return the jeans to the store, so they could remove the alarm, so I got creative.

So I tugged with all of my might on the wires, but that did nothing, so I grabbed my big scissors and tried to cut the wire, but that didn't happen, so I grabbed a pair of pliers and that finally worked! I was thrilled that my jeans were no longer being held hostage and I wouldn't have to wear them to work with an alarm system dangling between my legs.

Because Tony wasn't home to help me with my dilemma I was thrilled with myself that I had successfully removed the tiny alarm with wires, without needing his assistance. But my joy did not last long, because the alarm started emitting this continuous loud, annoying shoplifter beep. "BEEP, BEEP, BEEP...."

When it first beeped it upset Henry Standing Bear so much he ran to the front door, pushed the screen door open and ran outside and began barking non-stop. But the worse part was having to listen to Little Debbie howling—non-stop. So let's just say that my smile instantly morphed into a frown and that I said a few cuss words.

With Henry barking outside, the alarm beeping and Little Debbie trying to imitate a miniature wolf or small coyote I knew what I had to do and I did it quickly. I grabbed the hammer and started banging it on the alarm box—but my hammering did no good. This tiny alarm system was made of molded plastic, but it was as tough as solid steel. 

So I put the hammer down and threw the tiny alarm into the dishwater.

It beeped twice and then it stopped or better said—it had drowned. And it was a floater. Then there was total silence. No beeping, no barking and no petite howling imitations. 

So, I let Henry back inside the house and let Little Debbie go outside and then I waited for about two more minutes before removing the floating alarm, because I wanted to make sure the alarm was truly dead and would not go off again. And the good news is—when I pulled it out of the water—it did nothing at all.

Then I dried it off, because I felt it was the least I could do, before tossing it into the trash can.

Y'all have a great evening and keep on laughing!

I Am Still Alive!

I am fixin' to go back to work tonight and I know that I have not been blogging much. And the reason is the awesome Escondida Resort has been booked solid for the past week and next week and Tony and I have been working a lot more hours.

This past week I've been working split shifts, so I can help sweet Darlene in the kitchen, because we've been preparing and serving breakfast, lunch and dinners. In other words I've go in to work real early and work 2-4 hours, then back again for lunch (2 hrs.) and then back again for dinner  which usually is is about 2-3 more hours.

Tony has been working his normal everyday schedule and then working a few split shifts when needed. And I am not complaining and welcome the extra hours, even though my feet are complaining, because I am standing non-stop. If you doubt my words that I've been walking, standing, etc. my pedometer has been averaging 22,000 steps per day. So all is good.

This past Wednesday our dear friend Chet O'Keefe and Willie, his faithful canine companion,  came to visit and stay with us,  because he had a gig to play with Stephen K. Morris, last Wednesday, at the Western Edge Cellars, in Fred-town.

And tonight, during and after dinner Chet will be playing his awesome music at the Escondida Resort. Tony and I are really looking forward to it, as are the guests staying at Escondida.

Anyway, Chet and Willie have been staying in my little writing cabin The LAST RESORT and he has promised me that he will sign the door, before heading back home to Terlingua.

And that is about it for tonight, because I am fixin' to go back to work. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I am still alive and ask you to please not give up on me—I'm just working a lot

Y'all have a great evening and keep on laughing!.