We started the day shoveling snow. We both swam for 45'. We made our weekly trip to Meijer's. Nancy fixed a perfect breakfast. I took my Sunday nap. After, I took a 3 mile walk.
Gas was $3.44 per gallon. The MAC has changed their pool chemicals. I know because I get plugged up after swimming. I will have to wear my mask that covers my nose.
Nancy fixed beans and rice for dinner. It was great. We watched 60 minutes and part of the AA's. We headed to bed at 2030.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday February 26, 2011
I started and ended the day shoveling snow. In between I walked to Bill's for breakfast, ran some errands with Nancy, took a nap and took the C2 to purchase bird seed. It was snowing at dinner time so we stayed home and ate pizza. Think Spring!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday February 25, 2011
I have on my HP so I am using the itouch. This morning I drove to the MAC because I am going out to lunch. My lunch is with Tom Grumbine. I have known Tom since 78. He has been involved in the prestressed concrete industry. We had a great lunch at Rose's. It is always fun talking over the good old days.
So I would get my 30 in I walked to Rose's from home. I checked some email (pre-virus) and then Nancy suggested we go to a movie. We saw "The King's Speech". It was excellent.
Nancy fixed scrambled eggs for dinner. We watched some TV and read the GRP before turning in.
So I would get my 30 in I walked to Rose's from home. I checked some email (pre-virus) and then Nancy suggested we go to a movie. We saw "The King's Speech". It was excellent.
Nancy fixed scrambled eggs for dinner. We watched some TV and read the GRP before turning in.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday February 23, 2011
I took Ms P out at 0545 and then immediately got ready for Breakfast Club which begins at 0700. It was very clear but cold this morning. The TV weatherman said it was 8⁰. I fired up the C2 and headed downtown. I arrived at exactly 0700. Breakfast was especially good this morning. We had scrambled eggs, hash browns, link sausage, oatmeal and homemade donut holes. The speaker this morning was a GR resident who played in the Negro Baseball League. He talked about the problems finding food and lodging in the deep south. Birmingham, AL was especially bad. It was very interesting.
I stopped at the Kava House on my way home to read the DFP and WSJ. This is a strange time we live in. I spent the rest of the morning checking email, etc. At 1130 I headed to the MAC for a swim. I swam for 33 minutes. After the MAC I headed downtown to my eye doctor to get my sunglasses modified. My next stop was Lowe's. I purchase 3 pieces of baseboard for the master bathroom. Each piece was eight feet long. I laid down the backseat in the C2 so I could get the 8' pieces in. No problems.
When I got home I took Ms P around the block. Just as we finished our walk Nancy got home from the Gardens. To get my 30 in I walked for 2.5 miles.
Tonight is cereal night. I do not think there is much on TV so we will probably go to bed early. I went to bed at 2000.
I stopped at the Kava House on my way home to read the DFP and WSJ. This is a strange time we live in. I spent the rest of the morning checking email, etc. At 1130 I headed to the MAC for a swim. I swam for 33 minutes. After the MAC I headed downtown to my eye doctor to get my sunglasses modified. My next stop was Lowe's. I purchase 3 pieces of baseboard for the master bathroom. Each piece was eight feet long. I laid down the backseat in the C2 so I could get the 8' pieces in. No problems.
When I got home I took Ms P around the block. Just as we finished our walk Nancy got home from the Gardens. To get my 30 in I walked for 2.5 miles.
Tonight is cereal night. I do not think there is much on TV so we will probably go to bed early. I went to bed at 2000.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Tuesday February 22, 2011
Tuesday and we promised no more snow days. Ms P and I went out at 0500 and I was glad to see we had no new snow. I got up for real at 0650. Nancy has an early class at the MAC so if I am going to ride with her I must be ready by 0730. We left for the MAC at 0730. I was tired today so my 4,000 meter time on the rowing machine was subpar. I also ran 2 miles at a very slow pace. After the MAC I ended up at Breton Village to read the WSJ and DFP. The DFP had an article on how high schools are not preparing graduates for college. When seniors were given a ACT type test their scores were terrible. The highest grade for a Detroit area HS was 75%. The school was located in Birmingham. The highest score for a City of Detroit HS was 4%. All the other HS's in Detroit were around 1%. Most Detroit area schools had scores between 20 and 30%.
Both papers had articles on public sector unions and the problems in WI. The problems in the middle east also got plenty of attention. It is amazing that the area just imploded. Our crack CIA and other intelligence agencies were out to lunch.
Unlike yesterday today turned into a bright sunny day with little wind. I had a nice walk home from Breton Village. After lunch Nancy, Ms P and I got in the Taurus and ran some errands. Our first stop was Verhey Flooring to make a down payment on our new bathroom floor. We then headed to the Lightning Center to see if we could still buy bulbs for our retro bathroom cabinet. They had some in stock so we bought 4 lights. Our last stop was Home Depot. We wanted to buy some baseboard for the bathroom. We wanted to replicate what we put down in the kid's bathroom. Home Depot did not have what we wanted.
Nancy is fixing some leftover chicken from a recent dinner party for tonight. Tonight we will watch NCIS. I have to be in bed by 2130 because I have to get up early tomorrow for Breakfast Club.
Both papers had articles on public sector unions and the problems in WI. The problems in the middle east also got plenty of attention. It is amazing that the area just imploded. Our crack CIA and other intelligence agencies were out to lunch.
Unlike yesterday today turned into a bright sunny day with little wind. I had a nice walk home from Breton Village. After lunch Nancy, Ms P and I got in the Taurus and ran some errands. Our first stop was Verhey Flooring to make a down payment on our new bathroom floor. We then headed to the Lightning Center to see if we could still buy bulbs for our retro bathroom cabinet. They had some in stock so we bought 4 lights. Our last stop was Home Depot. We wanted to buy some baseboard for the bathroom. We wanted to replicate what we put down in the kid's bathroom. Home Depot did not have what we wanted.
Nancy is fixing some leftover chicken from a recent dinner party for tonight. Tonight we will watch NCIS. I have to be in bed by 2130 because I have to get up early tomorrow for Breakfast Club.
Monday February 21, 2011
At 0430 Ms P and I headed outside. We had about 2" of new snow on the ground. The wind was fierce. While Ms P did her bidness I shoveled two paths down the drive. The snow was heavy. I got up for real at 0645. Nancy asked if I was going to the MAC today and I said no I was taking a snow day. It took Bob and Nancy well over an hour to get the walk shoveled. The hardest part was the section between the walk and street. The EGR plows had really piled up the snow. When we got done I asked Nancy if she wanted to go to Wolfgang's for breakfast. She said yes.
We really had a great breakfast at Wolfgang's. It is more expensive than Bill's or the Brandywine but the portions are bigger and of better quality. Right now I am in my office catching up on some reading and Nancy is downstairs also reading. We are in for the day.
In the afternoon I took a short nap. After the nap I played with the family tree. I am trying to find relatives who could have been involved in the American Revolution. Right now I have three who were the right age. The three are:
Stephen Tucker: b 1732, Woodstock, Connecticut, d Nov 8, 1808
Daniel Hibbard Roberts: b1750, Connecticut, d Mar 4, 1827, Darren, NY
Mark Sanborn: b Mar 4, 1750 Hampton Falls, NH, d Jul 27, 1821, Bath, NH
I think I have some data on Mark Sanborn and Dan Roberts. I will dig this data out and send to Debbie.
Later in the afternoon I got antsy so I walked to the post office to mail a package. Nancy cooked some oatmeal in the crock pot. We had oatmeal for dinner. Slow cooked oatmeal is very good. I mixed the oatmeal with yogurt. We watched the news and read the GRP until 2000. At 2000 we watched House. I think Mr House has grown stale. We were all in bed by 2130. Both Nancy and I enjoyed our snow day.
We really had a great breakfast at Wolfgang's. It is more expensive than Bill's or the Brandywine but the portions are bigger and of better quality. Right now I am in my office catching up on some reading and Nancy is downstairs also reading. We are in for the day.
In the afternoon I took a short nap. After the nap I played with the family tree. I am trying to find relatives who could have been involved in the American Revolution. Right now I have three who were the right age. The three are:
Stephen Tucker: b 1732, Woodstock, Connecticut, d Nov 8, 1808
Daniel Hibbard Roberts: b1750, Connecticut, d Mar 4, 1827, Darren, NY
Mark Sanborn: b Mar 4, 1750 Hampton Falls, NH, d Jul 27, 1821, Bath, NH
I think I have some data on Mark Sanborn and Dan Roberts. I will dig this data out and send to Debbie.
Later in the afternoon I got antsy so I walked to the post office to mail a package. Nancy cooked some oatmeal in the crock pot. We had oatmeal for dinner. Slow cooked oatmeal is very good. I mixed the oatmeal with yogurt. We watched the news and read the GRP until 2000. At 2000 we watched House. I think Mr House has grown stale. We were all in bed by 2130. Both Nancy and I enjoyed our snow day.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Sunday February 20, 2011
Sunday morning and it is swim time for Bob and Nancy. We get to the MAC by 0800. We both swam 45 minutes. After the swim we head to Meijer's for our weekly supplies. A winter storm warning is in place but so far the weather is way above average. Calm, mild and dry is my best description. I filled the Taurus up and gas was $3.24 per gallon.
Of course for breakfast Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs. I read a few sections of the GRP and then took my Sunday afternoon nap. When I woke up I looked out the window all I saw was white. The weather man was correct. I canceled my walk. I put on my snow shoveling clothes and headed outside. We had about 3" on the ground and it was really coming down. I got all the walks shoveled in about an hour. When I finished it had snowed so hard that I shoveled again.
For dinner Nancy fixed soup and ham sandwiches. We read the paper and watched 60 minutes. At 2015 I headed outside to again shovel. We had about 2" and it took me an hour to shovel.
I finished the paper about 2200. I headed to bed and hoped we did not get too much snow overnight. Keep thinking Spring!
Of course for breakfast Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs. I read a few sections of the GRP and then took my Sunday afternoon nap. When I woke up I looked out the window all I saw was white. The weather man was correct. I canceled my walk. I put on my snow shoveling clothes and headed outside. We had about 3" on the ground and it was really coming down. I got all the walks shoveled in about an hour. When I finished it had snowed so hard that I shoveled again.
For dinner Nancy fixed soup and ham sandwiches. We read the paper and watched 60 minutes. At 2015 I headed outside to again shovel. We had about 2" and it took me an hour to shovel.
I finished the paper about 2200. I headed to bed and hoped we did not get too much snow overnight. Keep thinking Spring!
Saturday February 19, 2011
Saturday morning. The alarm is set for 0630 so Nancy can make her early morning body pump class. Ms P and I had been out earlier. We all got up with the alarm. I got dressed and decided that today I was going to the boat show at DeVos Hall downtown. It is about a 3.5 mile walk. It was a great day for a walk. The sidewalks were clear and the temperature was above 32. I got downtown about 0830 and headed to the deli at the Amway. The Deli has the best, yes best, apple fritters in the USA. I had a fritter, actually 2, and coffee. I read both the WSJ and GRP. At 1000 I packed it up and walked to the boat show.
Everyone must have spring fever because the boat show was packed. I walked around and looked at all the boats. I concluded owning at boat is expensive. My dream boat would be a house boat. I have no desire to own a power boat. In fact I think all jet skis should be banned.
When I got home I noted that Nancy had finished cleaning the kitchen and had made cookies and a carrot cake for tonight. Nancy and I are meeting the Namey's at the old Gibson's for dinner. After dinner we are coming over to our house for dessert. I take a short nap.
At 1745 we get in the Taurus and head to the restaurant. The restaurant is full. Is this a sign of a recovering economy or does everyone just have cabin fever? We had a very enjoyable dinner. Unlike last night the food was good and the staff pleasant.
After dinner we all gathered at 1555 Mackinaw for carrot cake and dessert. Nancy made a great dessert. We spent an enjoyable hour in pleasant conversation. At 2200 Bob and Nancy headed to bed.
Everyone must have spring fever because the boat show was packed. I walked around and looked at all the boats. I concluded owning at boat is expensive. My dream boat would be a house boat. I have no desire to own a power boat. In fact I think all jet skis should be banned.
When I got home I noted that Nancy had finished cleaning the kitchen and had made cookies and a carrot cake for tonight. Nancy and I are meeting the Namey's at the old Gibson's for dinner. After dinner we are coming over to our house for dessert. I take a short nap.
At 1745 we get in the Taurus and head to the restaurant. The restaurant is full. Is this a sign of a recovering economy or does everyone just have cabin fever? We had a very enjoyable dinner. Unlike last night the food was good and the staff pleasant.
After dinner we all gathered at 1555 Mackinaw for carrot cake and dessert. Nancy made a great dessert. We spent an enjoyable hour in pleasant conversation. At 2200 Bob and Nancy headed to bed.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Friday February 18, 2011
Ms P and I were up at 0420 this morning. I went outside and realized that it was very balmy. The temperature was in the mid-40s. I decided that today was the day to get out the retro bike and pedal to the MAC. The ride was enjoyable and I am always surprised how efficient a bike is. My bike speed in town is about 9 mph but I walk at a 3 mph pace. The bike wins.
After the MAC I pedaled to the Kava House. I read both the WSJ and DFP. The DFP had many articles on the impact of the Gov's proposed budget. I hope the Gov doesn't cave.
I got home about 1315. I had a quick lunch and then Nancy and I and Ms P got in the Taurus and drove to Williams Kitchen and Bath. We picked out a new sink and toilet for the master bathroom.
For dinner this evening Nancy and I headed to Grand Rapids Brewing. We always liked their cherry chicken salad. They had changed their menu and the salad is gone. We both had a sandwich and were very disappointed with both the food and service. We scratched GRB from our list.
We ended the evening watching some TV and reading the GRP. Everyone was in bed by 2130.
After the MAC I pedaled to the Kava House. I read both the WSJ and DFP. The DFP had many articles on the impact of the Gov's proposed budget. I hope the Gov doesn't cave.
I got home about 1315. I had a quick lunch and then Nancy and I and Ms P got in the Taurus and drove to Williams Kitchen and Bath. We picked out a new sink and toilet for the master bathroom.
For dinner this evening Nancy and I headed to Grand Rapids Brewing. We always liked their cherry chicken salad. They had changed their menu and the salad is gone. We both had a sandwich and were very disappointed with both the food and service. We scratched GRB from our list.
We ended the evening watching some TV and reading the GRP. Everyone was in bed by 2130.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday February 17, 2011
Thursday morning and it can best be described as same-o-same-o. We are suppose to hit the record high for this date, 55⁰. I drove Nancy to the MAC. After the MAC I walked over to Breton Village Mall for coffee and the papers. Our Gov continues to play hardball with his budget. He wants to eliminate individual pricing in stores and tax public employee's pensions. I think he will accomplish his goals. The GRP says that he is willing to be a single term Gov.
I think our Gov is much smarter the Wisconsin's Gov. The Wisconsin Gov wants to eliminate public employee's unions. I think this is too explosive an issue. In fact I think collective bargaining is basically good. My mother who was very conservative supported teachers unions because she said without the union the school board would run all over the teachers.
After my walk home from Breton Village I had a quick lunch. At 1400 Randy Heibel a painter that we have used stopped by to look at painting the master bathroom. Randy gave us some good advice and also a good price. Slowly we are putting our project together.
After the meeting with Randy I headed downtown to meet with Wells Fargo people. I am changing my IRA from 5/3rd to WF. I have been very disappointed with 5/3rd.
For dinner tonight Nancy and I headed to Great Lakes Shipping. The place was almost empty. They have a bock beer on draft that I like. After dinner we watched some TV and read the paper. We were upstairs by 2130.
I think our Gov is much smarter the Wisconsin's Gov. The Wisconsin Gov wants to eliminate public employee's unions. I think this is too explosive an issue. In fact I think collective bargaining is basically good. My mother who was very conservative supported teachers unions because she said without the union the school board would run all over the teachers.
After my walk home from Breton Village I had a quick lunch. At 1400 Randy Heibel a painter that we have used stopped by to look at painting the master bathroom. Randy gave us some good advice and also a good price. Slowly we are putting our project together.
After the meeting with Randy I headed downtown to meet with Wells Fargo people. I am changing my IRA from 5/3rd to WF. I have been very disappointed with 5/3rd.
For dinner tonight Nancy and I headed to Great Lakes Shipping. The place was almost empty. They have a bock beer on draft that I like. After dinner we watched some TV and read the paper. We were upstairs by 2130.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday February 16, 2011
Slept in until 0515 this morning. It was above freezing when Ms P and I went out. In fact the temperature today is suppose to get to the high 40s. Today is my easy day so I got in the C2 and headed to Bill's for breakfast. After breakfast I made a deposit at the Kent County Credit Union and then headed downtown. My destination was Wells Fargo Advisors. Today I am going to purchase 2 ETF. After this transition I headed to Rylee's to look at their selection of trailer hitches. I plan on modifying my kayak rack. I have to make placing the kayak on top of the C2 less stressful on my shoulder. I have several ideas.
I got home took Ms P out and then checked my email. At 1130 I started walking to the MAC. At the MAC I swam for 30 minutes. As I get older I realize how great swimming is as an all around exercise. After the swim I walked home. I spent the rest of the afternoon working in my office.
Tonight was another cereal. I had raisin bran with yogurt. I thought it was very tasty. Nancy and I also had some toasted English muffins. Not much on TV this evening. I watched the news and then read the GRP. The Gov is proposing taxing public pensions. Michigan is one of the few states that does not tax public employee's pension check. I think it is a good idea.
AT 2030 Nancy headed upstairs to read her book. I took Ms P on a walk around the block. The temperature was 40⁰. In fact we are expecting record high temperatures. I hope it melts a lot of the snow still on the ground. I watched a show on military tanks on the Military channel. I enjoyed the show. It is now 2130 and it is my bed time. Stay tuned.
I got home took Ms P out and then checked my email. At 1130 I started walking to the MAC. At the MAC I swam for 30 minutes. As I get older I realize how great swimming is as an all around exercise. After the swim I walked home. I spent the rest of the afternoon working in my office.
Tonight was another cereal. I had raisin bran with yogurt. I thought it was very tasty. Nancy and I also had some toasted English muffins. Not much on TV this evening. I watched the news and then read the GRP. The Gov is proposing taxing public pensions. Michigan is one of the few states that does not tax public employee's pension check. I think it is a good idea.
AT 2030 Nancy headed upstairs to read her book. I took Ms P on a walk around the block. The temperature was 40⁰. In fact we are expecting record high temperatures. I hope it melts a lot of the snow still on the ground. I watched a show on military tanks on the Military channel. I enjoyed the show. It is now 2130 and it is my bed time. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday February 15, 2011
It got real cold last night, 16⁰. We also had a near perfect full moon. I got up at 0515 and did the early morning chores. At 0730 Nancy and I headed to the MAC. My Tuesday routine is not as intense as Monday's. I have added chin and pull ups to my routine. Before the fall I could do 10 each. Presently I can only do 3. Every day I am improving. After the MAC I walked over to Breton Village and had my coffee and papers. The DFP had several articles on the bonus the big three are giving their workers. Ford will pay $5,000 and GM will pay $4,000. Fiat/Chrysler did not make a profit last year but is still giving a bonus of $750.
The City of Detroit has a huge supply of abandoned homes. The mayor in an effort to get police officer to move back to the city is offering $1,000 to any officer that wants to move back. In addition, the city will use Federal stimulus money to help improve the homes. The mayor also wants to move citizens living in neighborhoods that have little or no chance of recovery to more stable neighborhoods. He seems to be getting some favorable feedback. Do the recent events in the Middle East substantiate President Bush's goal of democratic governments for all Middle East countries?
The walk back home was pleasant. The sun was out and temperature was above 32. After a quick lunch I headed upstairs to my office. I checked my mail and my skin doctor let me know the mole she removed was normal. Nancy also got a positive report from her recent x-ray. I talked to our financial advisor at Wells Fargo about buying some ETF funds. He gave me several that I might be interested in. I looked them up and will purchase several shares tomorrow. I also called Debbie to see how things were going and to ask her opinion on ETF funds. Debbie seemed in good spirits. She said she might be going to Ireland in April. Did you know Great Grandfather Hughes was from Wexford, Ireland. I looked Wexford up on google earth. I also looked up Campbeltown, Scotland. Nancy and I are thinking of a visit to Scotland. Campbeltown is a 6 hour bus ride from Glasgow. Campbeltown is not on any tour but it is a must see venue for me.
I have no idea where the Scott's originated. This afternoon I called Caledon, Ontario my grandfather Scott's birth place to see if I could purchase a birth certificate. The folks at Caledon gave me a phone number for "Service Ontario". I will check tomorrow.
This afternoon I called Lloyd Aikens in Alpena. Lloyd was my dad's bookeeper for many years. He was also in my mother's fifth grade class. Lloyd was not home but I will try later.
Nancy has a OHNA board meeting tonight. We are having chicken salad. I might have to watch NCIS alone.
The chicken salad Nancy prepared was great. She did not get home from the OHNA board meeting until almost 2100. She said I was appointed to the Street Light committee. We headed up to bed at 2130.
The City of Detroit has a huge supply of abandoned homes. The mayor in an effort to get police officer to move back to the city is offering $1,000 to any officer that wants to move back. In addition, the city will use Federal stimulus money to help improve the homes. The mayor also wants to move citizens living in neighborhoods that have little or no chance of recovery to more stable neighborhoods. He seems to be getting some favorable feedback. Do the recent events in the Middle East substantiate President Bush's goal of democratic governments for all Middle East countries?
The walk back home was pleasant. The sun was out and temperature was above 32. After a quick lunch I headed upstairs to my office. I checked my mail and my skin doctor let me know the mole she removed was normal. Nancy also got a positive report from her recent x-ray. I talked to our financial advisor at Wells Fargo about buying some ETF funds. He gave me several that I might be interested in. I looked them up and will purchase several shares tomorrow. I also called Debbie to see how things were going and to ask her opinion on ETF funds. Debbie seemed in good spirits. She said she might be going to Ireland in April. Did you know Great Grandfather Hughes was from Wexford, Ireland. I looked Wexford up on google earth. I also looked up Campbeltown, Scotland. Nancy and I are thinking of a visit to Scotland. Campbeltown is a 6 hour bus ride from Glasgow. Campbeltown is not on any tour but it is a must see venue for me.
I have no idea where the Scott's originated. This afternoon I called Caledon, Ontario my grandfather Scott's birth place to see if I could purchase a birth certificate. The folks at Caledon gave me a phone number for "Service Ontario". I will check tomorrow.
This afternoon I called Lloyd Aikens in Alpena. Lloyd was my dad's bookeeper for many years. He was also in my mother's fifth grade class. Lloyd was not home but I will try later.
Nancy has a OHNA board meeting tonight. We are having chicken salad. I might have to watch NCIS alone.
The chicken salad Nancy prepared was great. She did not get home from the OHNA board meeting until almost 2100. She said I was appointed to the Street Light committee. We headed up to bed at 2130.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday February 14, 2011
Happy Valentine's Day. In grade school we use to exchange cards. Ms P and I got up at 0515 and it was very mild outside. We did go back to bed and I got up at 0715. Nancy has a Hospital Gift Shop Board meeting this morning so she will not be going to the MAC. I will walk both ways. Despite two days of above freezing temperatures the minor streets that seldom see a plow were very icy. I had to walk very carefully. Monday is my busiest day at the MAC. I did not leave until 1115. I bought my coffee at the Omelet Shop and sat in the mall and read the WSJ and DFP.
I did not take my normal route home because the walks in EGR were all slush. Instead I back tracked my earlier route. I got home at 1320. After a quick lunch I took Nancy car and got it washed.
Tonight is cereal night. Not much on TV so I hope to be in bed early. I have been having some problems sleeping.
On Saturday's blog I mentioned my first job as a civil engineer, 50 years ago. Life was very simple in 1961. As a recent grad I had several goals. My most immediate was to save money to buy a car. My primary goal was to get solid engineering experience for the next four years. With four years of civil engineering experience I would be eligible to take the Professional Engineer's exam. Once I became a Professional Engineer I planned on moving back to Alpena and work for dad at RS Scott Engineering Company for the rest of my life. See life is simple. The big obstacle to achieving my goal was the draft. Stay tuned.
I did not take my normal route home because the walks in EGR were all slush. Instead I back tracked my earlier route. I got home at 1320. After a quick lunch I took Nancy car and got it washed.
Tonight is cereal night. Not much on TV so I hope to be in bed early. I have been having some problems sleeping.
On Saturday's blog I mentioned my first job as a civil engineer, 50 years ago. Life was very simple in 1961. As a recent grad I had several goals. My most immediate was to save money to buy a car. My primary goal was to get solid engineering experience for the next four years. With four years of civil engineering experience I would be eligible to take the Professional Engineer's exam. Once I became a Professional Engineer I planned on moving back to Alpena and work for dad at RS Scott Engineering Company for the rest of my life. See life is simple. The big obstacle to achieving my goal was the draft. Stay tuned.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sunday February 13, 2011
Ms P and I slept in this morning until 0515. We went outside and I cleaned the walks while Ms P did her bidness. We had a very light dusting of snow even though the temperature never got below 32⁰. I reset the alarm for 0646 and got right up when it went off. Before going to the MAC I brought my laundry upstairs and packed my gym bag. The pool was crowded this morning although Nancy and I lucked out in that we did not have to share a lane. We both swam 45 minutes. At Meijer's I filled up the Taurus, gas was $3.14 and returned 47 bottles.
Our Gov is try to repeal the individual pricing law. Michigan and 2 other states require every item must have a price. I watch several store employees labeling individual coke bottles and can of beans. It appears to me to be a big waste of time. I like the Gov's proposal.
Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs for breakfast. After breakfast I read a section of the paper and then took my Sunday afternoon nap. After the nap we all got in the Taurus and headed to Costco. We were out of vitamins and peanut butter. We also bought a chicken for dinner. I also bought some Guinness beer. It is now 1650 and I am going on a short walk.
We had our chicken for dinner. It hit the spot. Ms P also had a generous portion. We watched 60 minutes and read the GRP. Nancy went to bed early but Ms P and I stayed up and watched a Clint Eastwood movie, "Every Which Way but Loose".
Our Gov is try to repeal the individual pricing law. Michigan and 2 other states require every item must have a price. I watch several store employees labeling individual coke bottles and can of beans. It appears to me to be a big waste of time. I like the Gov's proposal.
Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs for breakfast. After breakfast I read a section of the paper and then took my Sunday afternoon nap. After the nap we all got in the Taurus and headed to Costco. We were out of vitamins and peanut butter. We also bought a chicken for dinner. I also bought some Guinness beer. It is now 1650 and I am going on a short walk.
We had our chicken for dinner. It hit the spot. Ms P also had a generous portion. We watched 60 minutes and read the GRP. Nancy went to bed early but Ms P and I stayed up and watched a Clint Eastwood movie, "Every Which Way but Loose".
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Saturday February 12, 2011
Once again Ms P and I got up at 0415. We had about 3" of fresh snow over night. While Ms P was doing her bidness I shoveled a portion of the drive. We went back to bed. The alarm went off at 0630. Nancy has an early class at the MAC. I finished shoveling and then walked to Marie Catrib's for breakfast. I arrived at 0810 and the place opens at 0800. There was not a seat available. I walked over to the Cheri Inn and had a bowl of oatmeal, scrambled eggs and toast. The oatmeal was subpar.
When I got home I checked my email and then walked Ms P around the block. The C2 has not been driven on the freeway in about a month so I decided to take a drive. The sun was out and the temperatures were above 32. My first stop was Rylee's to see if they had some chemical that would dissolve the glue holding the baseboard to the wall in the master bathroom. The helpful employee told me that the only way to remove the baseboard is to use a pry bar. He showed me what I needed. I already had the recommended pry bar so I thanked him and left. I then drove to Holland to visit one of my favorite stores, The Outpost. I saw a pair of rugged looking khaki's so I tried them on. They looked terrible. I will stick with LL Bean or Eddie Bauer. I did enjoy the ride. I stopped at a quickie car wash on my way home.
Nancy wanted to visit VerHage flooring on Wealthy so she could pick out some floor material for the master bathroom. We loaded up the Taurus and the 3 of us headed first to the library so Nancy could pick up several books and then we headed to VerHage. We found a parking spot and walked to the store only to find it closed. For dinner tonight we were debating: should we get a Costco chicken or go to Forest Hills Inn. Forest Hills won. I finished my outside activities by taking a 45 minute walk around the neighborhood.
Ms P and I are in my office typing this blog. It is now 1630 and Nancy is taking a nap and I am holding Ms P captive in the office.
Fifty years ago this month I was a freshly graduated engineer working at my first job. I was living on East Grand Blvd in Detroit. I paid $45 a month for a furnished studio type apartment. The apartment had a living room, a small kitchen and bathroom. It was really only 2 rooms. I had a sofa bed and when I wanted to sleep I pulled out the bed. I plugged in my electric blanket and jumped in bed. I only used the electric blanket. What 22 year old needs sheets? I warmed up a lot of TV dinners.
I did not own a car so I walked to work a distance of 3.17 miles. I tell people now that I walked on Jefferson Ave from Belle Isle to downtown and they say I would never do it today because it is a combat zone. I never had any problems.
My job was very boring but I liked making money. I really liked the fact that I had no home work. Some days I would walk out of the office and go to a movie. This was a big treat.
My biggest worry was the draft. I was in contact with the Alpena Draft Board and was told that I had until July to decide how I would fulfill my military obligation. I will explain how I solved my problem in a future blog. Stay tuned.
Last night Nancy said why don't we try Pietro's Back Door instead of Forest Hills. It sounded good to me so we headed to Pietro's and found out the Back Door was closed. The main Pietro's had a 2 hour wait. We ended up with all the other old folks who couldn't get an invitation to a party at Forest Hills. We had their steak/shrimp special. It was good. Later we watched a little TV and at 2145 we headed to bed.
When I got home I checked my email and then walked Ms P around the block. The C2 has not been driven on the freeway in about a month so I decided to take a drive. The sun was out and the temperatures were above 32. My first stop was Rylee's to see if they had some chemical that would dissolve the glue holding the baseboard to the wall in the master bathroom. The helpful employee told me that the only way to remove the baseboard is to use a pry bar. He showed me what I needed. I already had the recommended pry bar so I thanked him and left. I then drove to Holland to visit one of my favorite stores, The Outpost. I saw a pair of rugged looking khaki's so I tried them on. They looked terrible. I will stick with LL Bean or Eddie Bauer. I did enjoy the ride. I stopped at a quickie car wash on my way home.
Nancy wanted to visit VerHage flooring on Wealthy so she could pick out some floor material for the master bathroom. We loaded up the Taurus and the 3 of us headed first to the library so Nancy could pick up several books and then we headed to VerHage. We found a parking spot and walked to the store only to find it closed. For dinner tonight we were debating: should we get a Costco chicken or go to Forest Hills Inn. Forest Hills won. I finished my outside activities by taking a 45 minute walk around the neighborhood.
Ms P and I are in my office typing this blog. It is now 1630 and Nancy is taking a nap and I am holding Ms P captive in the office.
Fifty years ago this month I was a freshly graduated engineer working at my first job. I was living on East Grand Blvd in Detroit. I paid $45 a month for a furnished studio type apartment. The apartment had a living room, a small kitchen and bathroom. It was really only 2 rooms. I had a sofa bed and when I wanted to sleep I pulled out the bed. I plugged in my electric blanket and jumped in bed. I only used the electric blanket. What 22 year old needs sheets? I warmed up a lot of TV dinners.
I did not own a car so I walked to work a distance of 3.17 miles. I tell people now that I walked on Jefferson Ave from Belle Isle to downtown and they say I would never do it today because it is a combat zone. I never had any problems.
My job was very boring but I liked making money. I really liked the fact that I had no home work. Some days I would walk out of the office and go to a movie. This was a big treat.
My biggest worry was the draft. I was in contact with the Alpena Draft Board and was told that I had until July to decide how I would fulfill my military obligation. I will explain how I solved my problem in a future blog. Stay tuned.
Last night Nancy said why don't we try Pietro's Back Door instead of Forest Hills. It sounded good to me so we headed to Pietro's and found out the Back Door was closed. The main Pietro's had a 2 hour wait. We ended up with all the other old folks who couldn't get an invitation to a party at Forest Hills. We had their steak/shrimp special. It was good. Later we watched a little TV and at 2145 we headed to bed.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Friday February 11, 2011
Ms P and I cannot sleep past 0430. We headed outside and noticed a light dusting of snow on the ground. I shoveled a section of the drive while Ms P was doing her bidness. It was then back to bed until Nancy said it was time to go to the MAC. We left at 0730. I did the normal Friday routine and then ended up at Breton Village Mall reading the papers and drinking coffee. The DFP has been running a series of article of folks in the Detroit Public Schools changing grades so bad students can be promoted. The DFP does a real service to the citizens by exposing these violations. In fact if they had freedom of press in Egypt the WSJ would have nothing to write about. All the problems in Egypt reinforces my view that the USA should be a neutral country and stay out of other countries business.
I walked home and then had a quick lunch. Nancy and I got in the Taurus and headed to Rivertown Mall. I purchased a pair of swim goggles and Nancy some clothes at Macy's. I took a nice nap as soon as we got home.
This evening we are going to a OHNA TGIF party. The party was held at the home of Tom Ellis (former Block home). Tom lives summers in GR and the rest of the year he lives in Georgia. Tom let the OHNA use his house while he was in Mexico. The neighbors must all have cabin fever because the party was well attended. We left at 2130 and as soon as we got home we went right to bed.
I walked home and then had a quick lunch. Nancy and I got in the Taurus and headed to Rivertown Mall. I purchased a pair of swim goggles and Nancy some clothes at Macy's. I took a nice nap as soon as we got home.
This evening we are going to a OHNA TGIF party. The party was held at the home of Tom Ellis (former Block home). Tom lives summers in GR and the rest of the year he lives in Georgia. Tom let the OHNA use his house while he was in Mexico. The neighbors must all have cabin fever because the party was well attended. We left at 2130 and as soon as we got home we went right to bed.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Thursday February 10, 2011
Ms P and I are suffering from some type of lag. We got up at 0415 and headed outside. I went back to bed and got up at 0700. Today I am riding with Nancy to the MAC. It is a cold, clear day with the temperature in the teens. We are expecting some high winds so the wind chill will be in single digits.
I have been practicing pull-ups and chin-ups and find that if I do not fully extend my arms I can do 3 each. I have been doing some special exercises that I found in my Canoe magazine and they seem to be working. I hope by St Patrick's Day I will be back to 10 pull-ups and chin-ups.
After the MAC I walked over to Breton Village, bought a coffee at the Omelet Shop and then read the DFP and sections of the WSJ. I could not finish the WSJ because I have to be home a little after 1200 so I can take Ms P to the beauty shop. I started walking home at 1130. It was very pleasant walking north of Breton but when I turned west on Argentina the wind make it very, very cold. I got home and after filling the bird feeder I grabbed Ms P and headed to the beauty shop.
I ran several errands including renewing an IRA CD at 5/3rd. It was very frustrating. When I got home I had a phone message from the beauty shop that Ms P had fleas. They added $5 to the bill. I got Ms P about 1430 and she looked great, minus the fleas, I hope. I dropped Ms P off and headed to Pet Smart to get some flea spray for carpet and bedding. Nancy in the meantime was washing Ms P's bedding. I also stopped at Meijer's to get a prescription filled.
We got back into our Thursday routine by having dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. After dinner we read the GRP and watched some TV. I was really tired to I headed to bed at 2030. I did talk to my sister in AZ. She is returning to MI on the 20th of April. I will pick her up at the airport and drive her to Gaylord on the 21th.
I have been practicing pull-ups and chin-ups and find that if I do not fully extend my arms I can do 3 each. I have been doing some special exercises that I found in my Canoe magazine and they seem to be working. I hope by St Patrick's Day I will be back to 10 pull-ups and chin-ups.
After the MAC I walked over to Breton Village, bought a coffee at the Omelet Shop and then read the DFP and sections of the WSJ. I could not finish the WSJ because I have to be home a little after 1200 so I can take Ms P to the beauty shop. I started walking home at 1130. It was very pleasant walking north of Breton but when I turned west on Argentina the wind make it very, very cold. I got home and after filling the bird feeder I grabbed Ms P and headed to the beauty shop.
I ran several errands including renewing an IRA CD at 5/3rd. It was very frustrating. When I got home I had a phone message from the beauty shop that Ms P had fleas. They added $5 to the bill. I got Ms P about 1430 and she looked great, minus the fleas, I hope. I dropped Ms P off and headed to Pet Smart to get some flea spray for carpet and bedding. Nancy in the meantime was washing Ms P's bedding. I also stopped at Meijer's to get a prescription filled.
We got back into our Thursday routine by having dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. After dinner we read the GRP and watched some TV. I was really tired to I headed to bed at 2030. I did talk to my sister in AZ. She is returning to MI on the 20th of April. I will pick her up at the airport and drive her to Gaylord on the 21th.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Wednesday February 9, 2011
Ms P and I got up at 0415. I woke up because I forgot to make the coffee and Ms P because it was time to do her bidness. I headed back to bed and expected to sleep until the alarm at 0555. I slept through the alarm and would have continued sleeping if Nancy had not told me to shut the thing off. Today is Breakfast Club. Attendance was off today because a lot of members are in warmer climes. We had an interesting speaker who discussed clinical cancer studies that are going on in the GR area. She was a very good speaker. For breakfast I had scrambled eggs, pancakes, ham, and hash browns.
After Breakfast Club I stopped at the post office to mail a package to Willa and then stopped by the Kava House. I turned my Kindle on and the battery was totally dead. I think the cold temperatures drains the battery. The Kindle was very cold because I had left it in the car while at Breakfast Club. In fact I have read that the range of the Chevy Volt is cut in half on cold days. Maybe electric cars are warm weather cars?
I decided to run some errands. I first stopped at Martha's Vineyard on North Union Ave. This is an European style high end wine and grocery store. It is one on GR's best kept secrets. They had a special beer from Sri Lanka. It was on sale for $3.50 a six pack. I bought a six pack and a super duper oatmeal/raisin cookie. My next stop was Rylee's Hardware where I bought some deicing salt and a blind spot mirror. Finally I stopped at D&W and bought some V8 juice.
I spent some time on the computer and then at 1130 I headed to the MAC for a swim. I swam 30 minutes and was able to perform the crawl without any shoulder pain. It just takes time.
I had a 1420 skin doctor appointment. I got to the doctor's at 1400 and they took me right away. I was surprised because usually the waiting room is jammed and the wait is long. Today the waiting room was nearly empty. Is the medical field being impacted by the bad economy? Dr. Mary sprayed some liquid nitrogen on several spots. I have a mole under my arm that I have checked each time I visit. Dr Mary asked if I wanted it removed. I said yes and it was removed.
When I got home I filled the bird feeder and let Ms P out. She does not like to stay outside on these cold days. Although the sun was out this afternoon the temperature never got above 15⁰. We had a strong wind so the wind chill was probably in single digits. I took a 30 minute walk.
Tonight is book club night so I am meeting Tom Moleski at Vitale's for pizza and beer. I will leave at 1730. I indeed had pizza and beer (Blue Moon). After dinner I headed home. I got home at 1930. Nancy got home at 1815. We watched a little TV and then headed to bed.
After Breakfast Club I stopped at the post office to mail a package to Willa and then stopped by the Kava House. I turned my Kindle on and the battery was totally dead. I think the cold temperatures drains the battery. The Kindle was very cold because I had left it in the car while at Breakfast Club. In fact I have read that the range of the Chevy Volt is cut in half on cold days. Maybe electric cars are warm weather cars?
I decided to run some errands. I first stopped at Martha's Vineyard on North Union Ave. This is an European style high end wine and grocery store. It is one on GR's best kept secrets. They had a special beer from Sri Lanka. It was on sale for $3.50 a six pack. I bought a six pack and a super duper oatmeal/raisin cookie. My next stop was Rylee's Hardware where I bought some deicing salt and a blind spot mirror. Finally I stopped at D&W and bought some V8 juice.
I spent some time on the computer and then at 1130 I headed to the MAC for a swim. I swam 30 minutes and was able to perform the crawl without any shoulder pain. It just takes time.
I had a 1420 skin doctor appointment. I got to the doctor's at 1400 and they took me right away. I was surprised because usually the waiting room is jammed and the wait is long. Today the waiting room was nearly empty. Is the medical field being impacted by the bad economy? Dr. Mary sprayed some liquid nitrogen on several spots. I have a mole under my arm that I have checked each time I visit. Dr Mary asked if I wanted it removed. I said yes and it was removed.
When I got home I filled the bird feeder and let Ms P out. She does not like to stay outside on these cold days. Although the sun was out this afternoon the temperature never got above 15⁰. We had a strong wind so the wind chill was probably in single digits. I took a 30 minute walk.
Tonight is book club night so I am meeting Tom Moleski at Vitale's for pizza and beer. I will leave at 1730. I indeed had pizza and beer (Blue Moon). After dinner I headed home. I got home at 1930. Nancy got home at 1815. We watched a little TV and then headed to bed.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Tuesday February 8, 2011
It was a cold night with temperatures in the low teens. Ms P and I went out at 0445. I went back to bed and got up at 0700. Today I walked to the MAC. I bundled up against the cold. It was a bright sunny day and I needed sun glasses. Today I performed my exercises at 60%. After the MAC I walked over to Breton Village Mall and bought a coffee at the Omelet Shop and read the WSJ and DFP in the Mall's common area. The wind had picked up so the wind chill was probably in the single digits on my walk home. As soon as I got home I let Ms P out and filled the bird feeder. Our feathered friends need food in this cold weather.
I had a quick lunch and then checked my email. I also called and made an appointment for a colon test that I cannot spell. I did not sleep well last night so I took a nap. I am finally caught up on my blogs. My schedule will now include catching up on my reading and chasing the family tree. I googled Caledon, Ontario, the place of my Grandfather Scott's birth. I will call tomorrow and see if I can get a birth certificate.
Tonight Nancy fixed a pork loin and baked potatoes. It was great. We watched the news and NCIS and at 2100 headed to bed. I just took Ms P out and it was very cold and clear. Ms P did not dilly dally.
I had a quick lunch and then checked my email. I also called and made an appointment for a colon test that I cannot spell. I did not sleep well last night so I took a nap. I am finally caught up on my blogs. My schedule will now include catching up on my reading and chasing the family tree. I googled Caledon, Ontario, the place of my Grandfather Scott's birth. I will call tomorrow and see if I can get a birth certificate.
Tonight Nancy fixed a pork loin and baked potatoes. It was great. We watched the news and NCIS and at 2100 headed to bed. I just took Ms P out and it was very cold and clear. Ms P did not dilly dally.
Monday February 7, 2011
Monday morning and we got a light dusting of snow last night. Nancy and I cleaned the drive and walk in record time. I did some exercises at home and then got in the C2 and headed to the MAC. Because of the long layoff I am doing my exercises at 50%. I finished my workout and then headed to the Kava House. I did stop at the post office to mail a valentine gift to AJ. At the Kava House I read the DFP and WSJ. Most of the news was about Egypt and the super bowl. The DFP liked the car ad about Detroit.
I spent some time in the office paying bills and checking email, etc. I walked to the post office to mail the bills. The walk gave me my 30 minutes outside. I hope all readers are getting their 30 minutes in? Remember that my Grandfather Scott had another rule. Grandfather's rule required that every day you work up a barnyard sweat. Are you meeting Grandfather Scott's wish?
Monday night is cereal. After dinner I read the GRP and watched some TV. At 2100 we headed to bed.
I spent some time in the office paying bills and checking email, etc. I walked to the post office to mail the bills. The walk gave me my 30 minutes outside. I hope all readers are getting their 30 minutes in? Remember that my Grandfather Scott had another rule. Grandfather's rule required that every day you work up a barnyard sweat. Are you meeting Grandfather Scott's wish?
Monday night is cereal. After dinner I read the GRP and watched some TV. At 2100 we headed to bed.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sunday February 6, 2011
Sunday morning and Ms P and I followed our routine and we were back in bed by 0500. The alarm went off at 0656. Nancy and Bob left home at 0745 so we would be at the MAC when it opened at 0800. We both swam for 30'. Normally we swim 45' but we are just getting back in the routine. When we left the MAC it was snowing. We headed to Meijer's to get our weekly supplies. I filled the Taurus and gas was $3.26 per gallon.
For breakfast Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs on toast. We did have a little problem Sunday morning in that the house was very cold, 53⁰. I checked the furnace and the flame was out. We called Jacobson's and they had a service man at the house in 45'. The furnace needed a new igniter. It was fixed in about 30'.
I took my Sunday afternoon nap. After the nap I took a 2.25 mile walk. I also spent some time catching up on my blogs and mail. For dinner Nancy fixed a hamburger with baked beans and coleslaw. I also had a leftover pizza slice. At 1830 I started watching the Super Bowl. I watched the whole game. I wanted Green Bay to win.
Did you know that the first Super Bowl was played on January 15, 1967? Debbie was born on January 1966. We were living at 875 Woodside Road in Redwood City, CA.
For breakfast Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs on toast. We did have a little problem Sunday morning in that the house was very cold, 53⁰. I checked the furnace and the flame was out. We called Jacobson's and they had a service man at the house in 45'. The furnace needed a new igniter. It was fixed in about 30'.
I took my Sunday afternoon nap. After the nap I took a 2.25 mile walk. I also spent some time catching up on my blogs and mail. For dinner Nancy fixed a hamburger with baked beans and coleslaw. I also had a leftover pizza slice. At 1830 I started watching the Super Bowl. I watched the whole game. I wanted Green Bay to win.
Did you know that the first Super Bowl was played on January 15, 1967? Debbie was born on January 1966. We were living at 875 Woodside Road in Redwood City, CA.
Saturday February 5, 2011
Saturday morning and Ms P and I went out about 0500. I woke up with the alarm at 0630. Nancy has an early morning class at the MAC. I walked to "Bill's" and had their super special. I also read the DFP and WSJ.
Nancy and I got home about the same time. We loaded Ms P in the Taurus and ran some errands. We stopped at the library, and then headed to Target. Nancy made some Valentine purchases. We also stopped at Staples so I could buy some expandable file folders. I was out of money so I used the ATM in Breton Village and then we made our final stop at Pet Smart. We bought Ms P some food.
We spent a quiet evening at home. Nancy prepared some tomato soup and grilled peanut for dinner. We watched a little TV and then headed to bed. We are still suffering from jet lag.
Nancy and I got home about the same time. We loaded Ms P in the Taurus and ran some errands. We stopped at the library, and then headed to Target. Nancy made some Valentine purchases. We also stopped at Staples so I could buy some expandable file folders. I was out of money so I used the ATM in Breton Village and then we made our final stop at Pet Smart. We bought Ms P some food.
We spent a quiet evening at home. Nancy prepared some tomato soup and grilled peanut for dinner. We watched a little TV and then headed to bed. We are still suffering from jet lag.
Friday February 4, 2011
Friday morning and we have the big task of shoveling the driveway. The snow is about 18" deep from the house to the sidewalk and 36" deep between the sidewalk and street. The plows have really plugged us in. We start about 0730 and have the drive almost done by 0930. We have not yet started on the section between the walk and street.
We have new neighbors living in the old Pritz house. The house belongs to a young couple with several children. Eric is a doctor. Anyway the new neighbors let us use their super duper snow blower. It took me 30' to clear the area that was plugged by the plows. I estimate that it would have taken an hour if I had done it by hand. I also used the snow blower to finish the top of the drive. Bob and Nancy spent 150' clearing only the drive. We were both too tired to go to the MAC. I grabbed my Kindle and headed to the Kava House.
When I got home from the Kava House I spent another two hours chopping ice off the driveway. When I finished the drive was bone dry. I then took a well deserved nap.
Friday night we headed to Great Lakes Shipping for dinner. We were surprised how crowded the place was. We ate in the bar and got the last table. The main section had a hour wait.
We read the GR Press and watched some TV. About 1930 John Bradshaw brought Ms P home. I guess you could say things were back to normal.
We have new neighbors living in the old Pritz house. The house belongs to a young couple with several children. Eric is a doctor. Anyway the new neighbors let us use their super duper snow blower. It took me 30' to clear the area that was plugged by the plows. I estimate that it would have taken an hour if I had done it by hand. I also used the snow blower to finish the top of the drive. Bob and Nancy spent 150' clearing only the drive. We were both too tired to go to the MAC. I grabbed my Kindle and headed to the Kava House.
When I got home from the Kava House I spent another two hours chopping ice off the driveway. When I finished the drive was bone dry. I then took a well deserved nap.
Friday night we headed to Great Lakes Shipping for dinner. We were surprised how crowded the place was. We ate in the bar and got the last table. The main section had a hour wait.
We read the GR Press and watched some TV. About 1930 John Bradshaw brought Ms P home. I guess you could say things were back to normal.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Thursday January 27-Thursday February 3, 2011
Thursday January 27, 2011 and Nancy and Bob are up at 0500 and getting ready for their trip to Long Beach. I checked outside and a light snow was falling. The taxi was on time and we headed to the airport for our 0800 flight to Chicago. The Bradshaw's are taking care of Ms P and had picked her up on Wednesday. The flight to Chicago was uneventful as was the flight to LA. It was sunny and 75⁰ when we arrived in LA at noon. We got the Hertz shuttle and picked up our rental, a Nissan Versa.
We drove to LB and once again I missed the 710 South ramp so we got off at the next exist. We arrived at Steve's and found the key in Steve's secret hiding place. We unpacked and head out to Alessandra's day care to pick her up. Of course she was as adorable as ever. Steve picked up Lucas at school and when he arrived he was given the royal treatment by his grandparents. We all had dinner at a local Tavern and then headed home. Nancy and Bob headed to bed early.
Friday January 28, 2011: Alessandra is staying with us today. After Steve and Veronica headed to work we got in the Nissan and drove to Lucas's school, Prisk. We got there early so Lucas played on the big kid's playground. At 0845, the gate to the Kindergarten playground was opened and Lucas and his classmates headed inside. Lucas loves going to school and is doing quite well.
Nancy has the name of a vendor that sells scarf's to the hospital gift shop. We had their address and drove to their store. Nancy purchased a big supply of scarf's. After this stop we headed home so Alessandra could take her nap.
Alessandra always takes a nap at day care but rarely takes a nap at home. On one day I took her for an hour walk in the stroller and she slept the entire time. At 1330 we head back to school to pick up Lucas at 1400. I am surprised at the number of men picking up their kids at school. Normally Lucas goes to an after school camp run by the school. Veronica picks up Lucas after work. Lucas is happy that he is being picked up after school.
Every day after school we have a special treat. One day we stopped at Jamba Juice and another day we stopped at McDonald's for a cone. We even stopped at Pizza Hut for a pan pizza and on the Wednesday before we left we had a double dip cone at Baskin Robins. Life is good.
Veronica brought some takeout for dinner. Steve and Veronica say that Lucas crashes every Friday evening. Lucas goes to a full day kindergarten without a nap. I went to a half-day kindergarten with a nap. Lucas can write his name and knows all his numbers and letters and can even read. I could not tie my shoes or ever pick my nose at his age. Letters and numbers forget it.
Saturday morning and both kids have gymnastics. Grandpa is not going. Every morning I walk to Starbucks and have a coffee and read the papers. I downloaded the LA Times so I can find out what is going on in LALA land.
After the grandkid's morning classes Steve ran some errand. I accompanied him. Saturday night Nancy and I babysat while Steve and Veronica had a date night. I picked up two pizzas at Pizza Hut for dinner. We watched movies.
Sunday was the only day that we had rain. We all went to Costco and Steve and I got caught in a shower loading up the car. In the late afternoon the sun came out. Except for the shower on Sunday we had perfect weather. Sunshine and blue sky with temperatures in the high 60s or low 70s.
Monday morning and Steve and Veronica are up early getting ready for work. They have a system for getting the kids ready. As I have always said "parenting is a young person's game". Today Nancy is feeling poorly so we are taking Alessandra to day care. We drop Lucas off at school and head back home. While Nancy takes a nap I get in the rental and head for Huntington Beach and a walk on the paved beach walk. The beach walk was loaded with runners, walkers and bikers. A lot of folks are retired like me. I walked for 1.5 hours. It was a great day for a walk. I would like to rent a place near the beach so I could spend a good portion of a day riding my bike along the beach. Maybe next year. I head home and pick up Nancy. We head to Lucas's school and pick him up and then we get Alessandra and head to McDonald's for a cone. Cones are good.
Tuesday morning and Nancy is feeling much better so Alessandra is staying with us today. In fact after we left Lucas off we head downtown. Nancy is taking Alessandra to story hour at the downtown library. We got downtown early so we walk around. On our walk we saw a large building with apartments for rent. We stopped by and talked to the rental lady. We were surprised that the rents seemed reasonable. While the girls were at story hour I headed to the newspaper room and started reading some local papers. Steve stopped by to see how we were doing. Of course we were doing great. After picking up Lucas from school we headed to Target and got a small pizza at their pizza cafe. Lucas ate a whole pan pizza. I did too.
Wednesday and our last full day in CA. We dropped Lucas off and head for the Lakewood Mall with a unplanned stop at a Dollar store. We walked around the Mall and at 1130 we met Steve at Panera Bread for lunch. We had a pleasant surprise because Veronica joined us. It was a pleasant lunch. We picked Lucas up from school and headed to Baskin Robins for an ice cream cone. Both Lucas and I had the double dip. Nancy and Alessandra had a single scope in a bowl.
Thursday morning and today is departure day. We said goodbye to the kids and at 0845 we headed to LAX. Our flight from LA to Chicago was pleasant because we had clear skies. I spent most of the flight looking out the window. I am always surprised at how much open space the country has. We flew over vast deserts, big mountains and huge plains. When we got to Chicago we checked our tickets to GR and were surprised that we had been upgraded to first class. Both Chicago and GR had a lot of snow but the runways were all clear. We took a taxi home and found our driveway was plugged with snow. We had the taxi park at the neighbors drive. Our sidewalk was plowed. I think a neighbor plowed it for us. Our driveway was plugged and the snow was about 20" deep. It was tough getting our suitcases up the hill. We checked the house and saw that everything was ok so we headed to bed. It was a great week but I am always glad to get home.
We drove to LB and once again I missed the 710 South ramp so we got off at the next exist. We arrived at Steve's and found the key in Steve's secret hiding place. We unpacked and head out to Alessandra's day care to pick her up. Of course she was as adorable as ever. Steve picked up Lucas at school and when he arrived he was given the royal treatment by his grandparents. We all had dinner at a local Tavern and then headed home. Nancy and Bob headed to bed early.
Friday January 28, 2011: Alessandra is staying with us today. After Steve and Veronica headed to work we got in the Nissan and drove to Lucas's school, Prisk. We got there early so Lucas played on the big kid's playground. At 0845, the gate to the Kindergarten playground was opened and Lucas and his classmates headed inside. Lucas loves going to school and is doing quite well.
Nancy has the name of a vendor that sells scarf's to the hospital gift shop. We had their address and drove to their store. Nancy purchased a big supply of scarf's. After this stop we headed home so Alessandra could take her nap.
Alessandra always takes a nap at day care but rarely takes a nap at home. On one day I took her for an hour walk in the stroller and she slept the entire time. At 1330 we head back to school to pick up Lucas at 1400. I am surprised at the number of men picking up their kids at school. Normally Lucas goes to an after school camp run by the school. Veronica picks up Lucas after work. Lucas is happy that he is being picked up after school.
Every day after school we have a special treat. One day we stopped at Jamba Juice and another day we stopped at McDonald's for a cone. We even stopped at Pizza Hut for a pan pizza and on the Wednesday before we left we had a double dip cone at Baskin Robins. Life is good.
Veronica brought some takeout for dinner. Steve and Veronica say that Lucas crashes every Friday evening. Lucas goes to a full day kindergarten without a nap. I went to a half-day kindergarten with a nap. Lucas can write his name and knows all his numbers and letters and can even read. I could not tie my shoes or ever pick my nose at his age. Letters and numbers forget it.
Saturday morning and both kids have gymnastics. Grandpa is not going. Every morning I walk to Starbucks and have a coffee and read the papers. I downloaded the LA Times so I can find out what is going on in LALA land.
After the grandkid's morning classes Steve ran some errand. I accompanied him. Saturday night Nancy and I babysat while Steve and Veronica had a date night. I picked up two pizzas at Pizza Hut for dinner. We watched movies.
Sunday was the only day that we had rain. We all went to Costco and Steve and I got caught in a shower loading up the car. In the late afternoon the sun came out. Except for the shower on Sunday we had perfect weather. Sunshine and blue sky with temperatures in the high 60s or low 70s.
Monday morning and Steve and Veronica are up early getting ready for work. They have a system for getting the kids ready. As I have always said "parenting is a young person's game". Today Nancy is feeling poorly so we are taking Alessandra to day care. We drop Lucas off at school and head back home. While Nancy takes a nap I get in the rental and head for Huntington Beach and a walk on the paved beach walk. The beach walk was loaded with runners, walkers and bikers. A lot of folks are retired like me. I walked for 1.5 hours. It was a great day for a walk. I would like to rent a place near the beach so I could spend a good portion of a day riding my bike along the beach. Maybe next year. I head home and pick up Nancy. We head to Lucas's school and pick him up and then we get Alessandra and head to McDonald's for a cone. Cones are good.
Tuesday morning and Nancy is feeling much better so Alessandra is staying with us today. In fact after we left Lucas off we head downtown. Nancy is taking Alessandra to story hour at the downtown library. We got downtown early so we walk around. On our walk we saw a large building with apartments for rent. We stopped by and talked to the rental lady. We were surprised that the rents seemed reasonable. While the girls were at story hour I headed to the newspaper room and started reading some local papers. Steve stopped by to see how we were doing. Of course we were doing great. After picking up Lucas from school we headed to Target and got a small pizza at their pizza cafe. Lucas ate a whole pan pizza. I did too.
Wednesday and our last full day in CA. We dropped Lucas off and head for the Lakewood Mall with a unplanned stop at a Dollar store. We walked around the Mall and at 1130 we met Steve at Panera Bread for lunch. We had a pleasant surprise because Veronica joined us. It was a pleasant lunch. We picked Lucas up from school and headed to Baskin Robins for an ice cream cone. Both Lucas and I had the double dip. Nancy and Alessandra had a single scope in a bowl.
Thursday morning and today is departure day. We said goodbye to the kids and at 0845 we headed to LAX. Our flight from LA to Chicago was pleasant because we had clear skies. I spent most of the flight looking out the window. I am always surprised at how much open space the country has. We flew over vast deserts, big mountains and huge plains. When we got to Chicago we checked our tickets to GR and were surprised that we had been upgraded to first class. Both Chicago and GR had a lot of snow but the runways were all clear. We took a taxi home and found our driveway was plugged with snow. We had the taxi park at the neighbors drive. Our sidewalk was plowed. I think a neighbor plowed it for us. Our driveway was plugged and the snow was about 20" deep. It was tough getting our suitcases up the hill. We checked the house and saw that everything was ok so we headed to bed. It was a great week but I am always glad to get home.
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