Venice

Gondola ride in some light to heavy rain was great.

Day Three in Italy

Italy is awesome.  Two days in Rome and now in Siena.  The red wine is excellent.  The countryside here is magnificent.

Ciao Roma!

Just bought train tickets for Rome to Siena, Siena to Florence, Florence to Venice, and Venice back to Rome.

Already have air tickets and hotels.  Can't wait.

April 15 and 39 F In Southeast Texas???

http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/spring-tx/77381/daily-weather-forecast/33716_pc?day=1


The ice age is here.

Tools

http://xkcd.com/1343/

In the round at the Rock Room

Four wonderful singer/songwriters up close and personal in the Rock Room at Westwood Country Club in Austin.  Two of The Trishas (Jamie Wilson and Kelley Mickwee) along with Jason Eady and soon to be wife Courtney Patton.  A couple of interesting announcements.  One is that Courtney and Jason are getting married in three weeks. The other is that Jamie is expecting her third child, due date September 3.  The four in this group of singers and friends have been writing a song a week each.  Jason did a funny song about how he had to write a song two hours before the deadline (5 pm Fridays) while waiting to pick up his daughter at school.  Jamie said she skipped the week when she found out she was 10 weeks pregnant, but had a humorous one she performed about baby number three being on the way.

A lot of new songs and some old favorites.  The Rock Room is a rustic and cozy setting with good acoustics.  I would like to go again soon and listen to some other up and comings singers.

Ho, Ho, Ho!!!

To All My liberal/progressive Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, my best wishes 
for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, 
non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice 
holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious 
persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with 
respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of 
others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions 
at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and 
medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally
accepted calendar year 2014, but not without due respect for the
calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society 
have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is 
necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the 
Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, 
creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of 
the wishee.

To My libertarian/conservative Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!