Happy 24, Danny! (August 24, 2024)

Danny celebrated his golden birthday on August 24. We started with birthday cake in the Stephen F. Austin Hotel bar, followed by dinner at the Roaring Fork. Then two improv shows at the Hideout, just around the corner.
 

Al, Joyce, and Danny in the very Texan Stephen F. Austin Hotel lobby. The hotel, first known as "The Texas," opened in 1924 as the first high-rise hotel on Congress Avenue. Only the Capitol was taller at the time.

Time to sell the Krugerrands (August 21, 2024)

Originally minted in 1967, the 22-karat South African Krugerrand coin is one troy ounce of pure gold. Dad gave one each to Tom and me shortly before he passed away in 2020. Thanks, Dad! 

Because the coins look a lot like Mardi Gras doubloons, I feared that when Tom and I died, the Krugerrands would be thrown out with the Mardi Gras beads. So when gold reached its all-time high of $2,531.70 on August 20, we decided to sell. 

With the end of the gold standard in 1971, the price of gold rose from the set price of $35/ounce to $850/ounce by 1980. The price rose and fell with world events. In 1990, it was $400/ounce and fell to $280/ounce in early 2000. Value spiked to $1,899/ounce following 911, then dropped as low as $555/ounce before spiking again with the onset of the COVID pandemic, to $1,686/ounce.

Very long way of saying it seemed selling at the all time high was a good idea. 
 

Leeloo (Sunday, August 18, 2024)

Amon and Fox brought Leeloo over. Such a good girl! She no longer jumps on you to greet you. She's learned to stay and sit. Amon's teaching her other commands. He had her off leash in a parking lot near their house, working with her, when she spotted a deer and chased it. Amon couldn't catch her. But guess what? She was waiting for him outside their front door. Good girl!
 

When your broken nose leans to the left....(August 15, 2024)

You get to have it "recentered," aka rebroken and straightened. Ugh!  Had to wear the splint for a week and sleep with my head at a 45-degree angle. 
 

Kebabalicious and East Austin Comedy Club instead (August 9, 2024)

Papa didn't get to celebrate his 73rd at the Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye, as planned. But we enjoyed great food at one of our favorites, Kebabalicious. This was the first time I'd seen a shared kids and seniors menu.

We caught a show at the East Austin Comedy Club after dinner.

Papa was wished a happy birthday by the comedians and audience too.
 

Scotland? Not this year (August 6, 2024)

Due to Hurricane Debby, flight all along the East Coast were canceled. We were supposed to fly from Austin to Newark, then Newark to Edinburgh. Dear friend Roy dropped us off at ABIA. We were all checked in and found out our flight from Austin to Newark had been canceled. They booked us on a flight to Houston with a connection to Newark. But the Houston to Newark flight was delayed and we wouldn't get there in time for our Edinburgh flight. When they told us we could probably get to Edinburgh in two days, we opted to cancel our trip for a refund. Good thing, because about an hour later we found out the Newark to Edinburgh flight was canceled. 
 

United pulled our baggage off the aircraft and locked it up for us in baggage claim. We were disappointed about Scotland but grateful to have found out before leaving Austin. Much better than crisscross applesauce on the Newark airport floor for a couple of days waiting for a flight to Edinburgh or back to Austin.

We weren't the only ones with canceled flights. I guess if we'd made it to Newark we could have pivoted and done NYC instead of Scotland. Dear Roy kindly came back to get us.

8 days out (August 2, 2024)

We met our friend Greg Pratas for breakfast tacos to celebrate his birthday. Still looking rough but so much better 8 days after. The human body is amazing at healing itself.