10:42!

Today has been great. Tony and I worked this morning for a couple of hours. When we came home I decided it was time for me to start painting the 2500 gallon water tank that sits between our circular driveway.

Here is a closer look at it. And I love seeing all of the orbs.

So at 10:42, I went outside and started my project.

After I cleaned the outside of the water tank I taped off the area that I am planning to paint.

Then I started painting it white, and put on two coats, so when I start adding the colors they will be the true colors I chose.

In this picture I've just started to paint the second coat for my blank canvas.

While I had to wait for that paint to dry I decided to add another section of white paint for a future painting that I will do, even though I have not decided what I will paint on it.

Okay, here is a peak preview of the alien, the dog and the 69 VW van that I am going to paint tomorrow. It is a rough layout, but I wanted y'all to see it.

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

So To Speak! or Big Foot!

My Blue Yeti Nano arrived today, so today has been great, so to speak, because my new Yeti is the microphone that I will be using for my future podcasts.

(FYI: On March 29, 2011, I wrote a blog titled: No Budget Recording Studio. It was a short post about me trying to learn how to use my new Blue Yeti microphone that I had purchased so I could make audio books—with Ben and Tony's help. 

It was a total disaster, but it was also hilarious, because Tony and Ben did everything they could do to distract me, etc. So please note this is my second Yeti.

And if you really want to or need to laugh, watch me make a fool of myself trying to record one of my stories with the help of my two sound engineers—Tony and Ben. Please click here to watch on YouTube—No Budget Recording Studio.)

Anyway I was thrilled when my new Yeti arrived, but it took me a while to meet my Yeti, because I had to open several boxes to get to it. After opening the Amazon Prime package there was this box to open.

After opening that box up—there was this box to open that protectively housed my Yeti. 

After opening up this white box with the two round air vents (I guess so my Yeti could breathe) I had to remove a lot of gray colored foam rubber. But it was all worth it, because my Yeti arrived in perfect condition—unscathed by shipping. And it was love at first sight for me.

After tinkering with my Blue Yeti Nano, I read the instructions on how to use it, even though many years ago I bought a Blue Yeti Nano, because I had been thinking about turning my books into audio books. Long story short—I gave that Yeti to Chet O'Keefe—and it was silver instead of black like this one. 

As I was putting the instruction pamphlet away I saw this card, Blue SHERPA, and my first reaction was to laugh, because of the super cool name and because yetis and sherpas go hand-in-hand, so to speak. And all I can say is I think this company ROCKS with its name choices!

Then I read the Blue Sherpa card that suggested downloading this companion app to get the most out of my Yeti and I was thrilled to know about this app.

And when I started repacking my awesome microphone on one the side of one of the boxes it said "Perfect for Podcasting...." and when I looked on the other side of this box there it was again—PODCASTS! So I am definitely taking it as a sign for me to definitely do podcasts.

And that is about all for tonight, because I am fixin' to download the Blue Sherpa app and then play around with my new microphone. And seriously—no "sound engineers" will be involved.

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

Update: I just named my Blue Yeti Nano—Big Foot!

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!